New Beginnings
by Back-in-Black-Finchel
Summary: They fell 'accidentally in love'... Now they're together, and nothing will ever break their family apart. So what does happen when Cameron and Chase get their new beginning? Rated: T - Chameron... lots and lots of Chameron...
1. Chapter 1 New Beginnings Part 1

_**Disclaimer:**__I don't own "House" or Fox. All characters you recognize are from the show and I don't own, all others not from the show I __**do**__ have the rights to. I also own the plot. All third-party companies or objects mentioned throughout this piece are not owned by me and are only props in the piece._

_**Author's Note:**__ This is a possible AU piece I did after falling in love with the entire Chameron romance. This is part 1 of 2 for chapter 1. Enjoy!_

_**Chapter 1 – New Beginnings**_

_**Part 1**_

Cameron laid her head on Chase's chest, sitting in the 'V' of his legs and listening to his breathing as he kissed the top of her head. They were curled up on the couch, each seeking respite from the cold outside in their warm house and the comfort of one another's arms. It wasn't quite snowing yet. Leaves were still blowing in the autumn night breeze outside of their house. But, luckily for both of them, it was definitely cold enough to sit by the fire to enjoy one another's company.

"It's Tuesday…" he whispered into her ear, making her shiver and bite her lip.

"I know…" she smiled to herself and interlocked her fingers with his.

"And I like you…" Chase murmured, this time pressing his nose against her ear.

"I think my tummy proves that…" Cameron laughed lightly, keeping her hand on her swollen middle as Chase continued to rub the belly of his very-pregnant wife.

"Yes it does," Chase grinned, "Actually, it proves that I _love_ you."

"You better," Cameron joked, "I'm your wife… and I'm nine months pregnant!" Chase couldn't help but laugh at how cute she was.

Turning slightly, Cameron took her husband's lips with hers. Chase brought his hand up from her swollen stomach to caress her cheek lightly.

"I love you too…" Cameron whispered irresistibly in Chase's ear. He could feel the warmth of her breath on his skin and she saw the hair stand up on the back of his neck and arms. Only she could do that to him – and both of them knew it too. A sparkle of love in her eyes, Cameron looked at her husband who could only smile in return and kiss his wife passionately. They both enjoyed this private time together – a nice ending to their hectic days. Soon, however, they both knew it would be even better, filled with the cries and giggles of a little baby girl – _their_ little baby girl.

After a few more moments of tender kissing, Cameron couldn't help but yawn.

"Tired, sweetheart?" Chase grinned, tucking a stray wave of Cameron's amber-reddish-brown hair out of her face and behind her hear. She nodded, closing her eyes as she again rested her head on his chest, lost in the comforting feeling of Chase's strong arms around her. "C'mon. Let's go to bed." With those words Chase picked his wife up off of the couch and into his arms, carrying her through the family room and down the hallway, upstairs down another hallway, and finally into their master bedroom.

"I'm surprised you can still carry me," Cameron remarked drowsily.

"Ally, you weigh virtually nothing," Chase reassured his wife, despite the fact that she _was_ heavy for him to carry. Yet, he was her knight in shining armor, and therefore had responsibilities to uphold as such.

"Mhmm…" Cameron rolled her eyes, clearly unconvinced as Chase laid her down in bed gently, "You're so lying."

"Am not," Chase chuckled, collapsing down next to his wife on the bed and rolling on his side as he wrapped his arms around Cameron, "You're beautiful, feather-light, amazingly kindhearted, and are carrying the most amazing little baby girl ever to exist. I'm not lying…"

"Everybody lies," Cameron raised an eyebrow at Chase.

"Truth is rooted in lies," Chase retorted cleverly, sticking his tongue out at his wife playfully.

"You're right… it all simmers down to the simple fact that you love me," Cameron smiled contentedly as she rested her hands atop her massive midsection, "Case in point, babe."

"We've really been hanging around House too long," Chase laughed.

"It doesn't help that we're legally making him our daughter's godfather, does it?" she half-smiled.

"Not really… no," Chase shook his head, sighing with a soft chuckle.

They were silent for a moment.

"I can't believe we're going to be parents soon," Cameron said excitedly as a smile crept across her face.

"I know," Chase said, pondering the thought. He smiled, "I can't wait."

"Me neither," Cameron grinned.

Suddenly Cameron's face changed from a smile to a pained expression of discomfort and worry. She bit her lip as her breathing increased.

"Ally?" Chase asked, immediately worried out of his mind as he sat straight up in the bed, looking at his wife, "Allison, are you alright?"

"I don't think you're going to have to-" she started.

"Allison?" Chase asked urgently, switching into doctor-mode, "What's the matter?"

"I- you're not going to have to wait any longer," Cameron started again, "Robert… I-I… my water j-just broke." She looked at Chase, her eyes pleading with him for some kind of consolation. Allison Cameron – the beautiful, perfect, utterly amazing Allison Cameron was scared… and in labor.

"Ok, ok," Chase soothed, calming himself down as well, "Relax. I'll get your bag to the car and we'll be off to the hospital in an instant."

Cameron nodded. Obviously the contractions were starting. Her worried expression only propelled Chase to hurry that much quicker.

Like a bolt of lightening, Chase calmly but effectively grabbed Cameron's suitcase and rushed down the stairs to the car, completely ignoring the fact that it was 40 degrees outside. After getting everything set and making sure he had his and Cameron's pagers, cell phones, keys, lab coats, camera, and three empty memory cards.

"D-Day…" he mumbled under his breath as he ran up the stairs two at a time.

He found Cameron exactly where he left her. Only now an expression of true discomfort was on her face from the contractions.

"Ok, sweetheart, take it easy…" he coaxed, helping her off the bed, "Do you want me to-"

"No," Cameron shook her head after taking a deep breath, "I'll walk. Let's just go… now…"

"Ok, c'mon…" Chase nodded, holding her hand and guiding her down the stairs. He grabbed her coat and helped Cameron put it on. "It's pretty nippy out…"

"You always say that, Aussie Boy," Cameron half-smiled. She obviously wasn't in terrible pain as she was still cracking jokes.

"I love you too," Chase rolled his eyes playfully, locking the front door behind them. He ushered Cameron over to the passenger side of the car and helped her in. "There ya go."

Cameron winced.

"The contractions are getting…" she winced again, "closer!"

"Breathe, Ally," Chase urged softly, "Just breathe, honey. I'm gonna get you to the hospital as fast as I can, ok?" Cameron just nodded as Chase jumped in the driver's side and started up their black Mercedes-Benz G 55 AMG. The engine roared to life and he was out of the driveway in an instant.

Chase sped as fast as he could on the wet roads – always keeping Cameron's, the baby's, and his safety in mind. He grabbed his Blackberry Bold out of the console and dialed the hospital.

"Foreman!" he almost shouted when his coworker picked up, "Cameron's having the baby!"

Foreman was silent for a moment, still in shock.

"Ok," he said quickly, "I'll notify the maternity ward. Drive safely."

"Thanks," Chase nodded before realizing that Foreman couldn't see him nodding.

"Yeah, of course," Foreman half-smiled. Regardless of what he ever thought of Cameron and Chase, this was a big and special day for them both.

All the while Cameron was trying to keep her cool, breathing just like her doctors told her to. _I have doctors. That sounds… strange for some odd reason._

"You alright?" Chase asked for the millionth time after a few moments of silence.

"I will be once she's out," Cameron nodded, the fact that she was less than twenty-four hours away from being a mother just starting to soak in. A smile, regardless of the pain she was in, crept across her face as she pondered the thought again.

"Good…" Chase bit his lip, tires screeching as he stepped on the accelerator. Luckily their AMG had a lot of motor to support the urgency of his step.

"Sweetheart, relax," Cameron soothed, "I'm fine. Ease off the accelerator."

"Sorry," Chase apologized, slowing down about ten miles per hour, "I'm just nervous… for you…"

"Dr. Robert Chase, nervous?" Cameron teased, momentarily squeezing her eyes shut and holding her belly as another contraction washed over her body, "Never thought-… I'd see the day."

"Dr. Allison Cameron admitting her love for me. Never thought I'd see that one either," Chase smiled, "But look what's happening now."

"I can feel it," Cameron bit her lip, relishing the moments when she wasn't suffering through contractions, "Don't have to look."

"We're here!" Chase said instantly upon pulling into the driveway of Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital.

Who else would be standing out front of the hospital but about six nurses, Foreman, Cuddy, Wilson, and, of course, House. Quickly, Chase swerved into the drop-off lane and stepped on the brake.

"Poor Cameron," Wilson remarked, "She's probably car sick from Chase's driving too." Cuddy laughed.

Chase jumped out of the car and hurriedly walked to Cameron's side to open her door.

"Hey," he greeted his friends on the way over.

As soon as he'd opened the door, the nurses flocked to the car with a wheelchair for Cameron and helped her out of the car. They helped Cameron into the wheelchair – much to her chagrin – and immediately started to rush her off towards the maternity ward. At five o'clock in the evening and with Cameron as the mother-to-be and Chase as the father-to-be, their 'situation' had spread like wildfire. On the way to the maternity ward, they received more smiles and reassuring congratulations than anyone had anticipated.

c-h-a-m-e-r-o-n-4-e-v-e-r

Two hours later, Cameron was in the maternity ward in a hospital gown, waiting and waiting. She groaned and squeezed her eyes shut.

"How bad does it hurt?" Chase asked, still worrying.

"On a scale of one to ten? A five. But considering that my threshold for pain isn't amazingly high, it hurts," Cameron sighed.

The contractions were getting closer together and more unbearable each time.

"It's ok," Chase soothed, taking a cool cloth to her forehead and continuing to hold her hand, "Just think, in a few hours, we'll be parents."

"I know," Cameron cracked a smile for the first time in over an hour, "I can't wait… for us to be parents _and_ to get this little one out of me."

Chase just laughed.

"You're not going to miss being pregnant?" he teased.

"The part where I'm huge, hormonal, and… _huge_… no," Cameron rolled her eyes, then changing her tone to one more alluring and looked at her husband, "But the sex drive-"

"Are mamma and papa bear having fun?" House asked, barging into the room.

"God, House…" Cameron sighed, relieved that she didn't say more.

"What? You're part of my team and you're technically 'sick' in the hospital. It's only my duty to sit by your bedside until you make a full recovery," House smirked, "After all, I need to return the favor for you sitting by my bedside all those times when I was sick in bed and mommy had to come to my wittle wescue."

"Aww, is wittle Housey afwaid that his pwecious Camewon is growing up?" Cuddy teased, walking into the room. House just shot a glare at her.

"No," he denied sharply as Cameron and Chase grinned at one another.

"Ah, cheer up, House," Chase chuckled.

"Yeah, you _are_ her godfather after all," Cameron laughed, resting her hands on her voluminous middle.

From outside of the room they could all hear the laughs of nurses, Wilson, and Foreman alike.

"It's not funny!" House insisted.

"Yeah," Wilson shook his head, "Which means that you and Cuddy have to share your godchild. Get used to it, House. You can't always get what you want."

"Are you kidding?" Cuddy retorted, "I'm not trusting that little girl within a mile of her godfather."

"Good…" House mumbled.

"Ahh!" Cameron yelped, breaking the happy mood as perspiration began to form on her forehead and she squeezed Chase's hand. Immediately everyone's attention was drawn to Cameron.

"Hey," Chase said softly, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Cameron breathed, "It's just the contractions… they're-" She winced again, "getting worse."

"I think it's time for that epidural," Chase proposed, receiving a nod in return from his wife. "Ok," he said quietly, "I'll be right back."

"Ok," Cameron nodded as she watched her husband leave the room.

"No that I don't appreciate your presence, House, but, why _are _you here?" Cameron asked as her curiosity got the better of her, "I mean it's childbirth – that's boring to you."

"The one time I actually visit a patient, you don't want me to visit the patient," he complained from his chair.

"Hey," Cameron interjected, a playful frown on her face, "I'm not your patient."

"Whosever patient you are, you're being ignored by your doctor," House tried his argument, "And it's only right that you have a doctor who isn't your husband in the room with you. A person closely related to the patient as their doctor is never a good idea. Ergo-"

"Ergo, you're stalling because you don't want to leave, and just want to sit here and watch Cameron give birth?" Cuddy shook her head, seeing right through House's ruse.

"Do not," House defended his actions, "I'm simply looking after a patient."

"Should I feel honored that he's fighting over me?" Cameron asked Wilson jokingly with a smile as he walked into the room.

"Yes," Wilson half-smiled, "It means he cares about someone besides himself. That's improvement."

"I'm back," Chase announced as he walked back into the room accompanied by a young nurse. He walked over to Cameron's bedside. "I need you to get up, sweetheart – so I can put in the epidural."

"I know, I know," Cameron faked a glare at him, "I _am _a doctor too, ya know." Chase sighed and cocked his head to one side as if to say 'please, do this for me.' Without any further remarks, Cameron sat up with the assistance of her husband. Immediately, Chase started to prep her for the epidural. He sponged some antibacterial disinfectant on the area and took a deep breath.

"Don't screw up, Koala-boy," House said comfortingly.

"House!" Cuddy, Foreman, and Wilson retorted.

"Relax," House huffed, "I'm just advising a colleague."

"You were not!" Cuddy argued.

"You're giving the man unnecessary stress," Wilson pointed out.

By the time they were all done arguing, Chase had already finished the perfectly executed epidural procedure and Cameron was receiving some much-needed relief.

"Uh, guys," Chase interjected, "It's all done." They all looked up to see that he was sitting by Cameron. Each of them had telling smiles as they watched everyone argue over their collective wellbeing as a couple.

Suddenly Dr. Schachner walked into the room.

"Dr. Cameron," he smiled, "I trust everything's going well."

"Thanks to the epidural, it's much better," she chuckled.

"Good," he nodded, "Well, we have to see how far dilated you are so that we-"

"She knows!" House shook his head, "She's a doctor." Everyone was starting to see that House really did care about his coworkers – well, at least he cared about Cameron. That is, even if he showed it in annoying and strange ways.

"Right," Dr. Schachner tried to ease the tense situation in the room, "But to check how far dilated she is… I… she might want some privacy. I'm going to have to ask you all to wait outside." Cuddy and Wilson exited immediately. House was more reluctant.

"Dr. House!" Cuddy called impatiently.

"Fine…" House grumbled, getting up and hobbling out of the room.

"You're actually friends with that guy?" Dr. Schachner asked once everyone was out of the room.

"It's weird, I know," Cameron smiled, "But he's got his merits."

"And his faults…" Dr. Schachner sighed.

Quickly, Dr. Schachner checked how far along Cameron was. A small smile developed on his face.

"You're almost ready," he announced, "Give it a little while longer."

"That's fantastic," Chase grinned.

"Definitely," Dr. Schachner said, "I'll be back in a bit."

"Thanks," Chase nodded to Cameron's doctor.

Dr. Schachner nodded with a smile as he walked out. Just then, Cameron winced as a contraction washed over her.

"Pain coming back?" Chase asked softly, taking a cool cloth to his wife's forehead again.

"Yeah," Cameron sighed.

"Sorry," Chase said, "You're not due for another dose anytime soon."

"I know," Cameron shrugged, "I'll just ride it out for her sake." Chase smiled and kissed her on the cheek.

"Only a little while longer," he murmured.

c-h-a-m-e-r-o-n-4-e-v-e-r

Seven hours of labor after she was first admitted, Cameron was in more pain by the second – it was definitely time.

"Ahh!" Cameron shrieked, her voice echoing down the halls of PPTH.

"Ally, just breathe," Chase soothed, "It's ok."

"You're not the one going through this!" she glared at her husband, the pain getting the better of her.

"I know, honey," Chase said softly, "But you're so close. Just keep pushing." He knew how much pain she was in and not once let her attitude get to him. Everyone warned him how temperamental a woman about to give birth could be. "Our little baby girl will be in your arms soon." With those words, Cameron looked at her husband and gave him a small smile.

"Ok, Allison, I'm going to need you to push as hard as you possibly can," Dr. Schachner urged, "Then breathe as the nurses have instructed you too."

"Ok," Cameron nodded.

"It's almost over," Chase whispered, running his thumb soothingly across Cameron's fingers with her hand in his. He nodded to Dr. Schachner as Cameron took a deep breath.

"Ok, Allison," Dr. Schachner prompted, "Push!"

Cameron pushed, squeezing Chase's hand like a stress ball. Chase, too, winced as he could swear he felt his fingers cracking. His wife was a lot stronger than he thought. Regardless, he gritted his teeth and fought back the pain as it was minimal compared to what she was going through to bring their child into the world.

"Keep pushing, Ally," he urged.

"You're doing great, Allison," Dr. Schachner encouraged, "Push again."

Cameron took a deep breath and pushed again, this time screaming with the pain. She squeezed her husband's hand harder and harder. "Ahh!" she shouted.

"C'mon, sweetheart," Chase fortified her efforts, "You're almost there, just a few more pushes and she'll be in your arms."

Cameron pushed yet again with more force than before. Pain and exhaustion wracked her body, her muscles aching and the entire sensation of childbirth leaving her with more than enough pain to last a lifetime.

"One more push Allison," Dr. Schachner instructed, "Almost there. I see her head. She's almost out."

"Robby…" Cameron breathed weakly.

"I'm right here. You can do this. She's almost out, Ally. Just one more push," Chase coaxed as he brushed the hair out of her face.

With an expression only describable as sheer exhaustion, Cameron grabbed both of Chase's hands and pushed with every drop of energy she still had left. Her howling shriek could be heard throughout the entire hospital.

Then the sound of a baby's cries filled the room. Cameron exhaled and let herself fall back onto the bed.

"Congratulations," Dr. Schachner grinned, "It's a girl."

"Ally," Chase beamed, "She's beautiful." Cameron just smiled.

"Dr. Chase," Dr. Schachner called, "You can cut the umbilical cord if you'd like."

"Absolutely," Chase smiled proudly. He was ecstatic as he picked up the scissors and carefully severed the final tie between the baby they'd seen on the ultrasound and his daughter that was now alive and well. The little baby was still crying up a storm.

Chase rejoined Cameron at her bedside.

"God, she's beautiful," he mused, eventually turning back to look at his wife, "You did great, Ally. She's perfect." Cameron just looked at him with a wide smile.

"I love you…" she said softly.

"I love you so much," Chase whispered, leaning in to kiss her.

When they broke the kiss, both watched as the nurses and Dr. Schachner made sure everything was going smoothly with _their daughter_. One nurse wrapped the baby in a pink blanket and picked her up. Cameron took a deep breath as she knew she was about to meet her daughter for the first time.

"Congratulations, Dr. Cameron," the nurse smiled, "and Dr. Chase."

"Thank you," Chase smiled as Cameron sat up in the bed.

Cameron, regardless of how tired she was, took her daughter into her arms. Her maternal instincts took over instantly as she pulled the crying infant in close to her chest.

"Hey, sweetie," she smiled, as tears welled up in her blue eyes. The little baby opened her eyes for the first time to see her mother and father smiling down at her. Cameron stroked her daughter's cheek gently as a tear rolled down her own cheek.

"Hey, little one," Chase said softly.

"Shh…" Cameron soothed her little baby girl, "It's ok, sweetheart. Mommy and Daddy are here. It's ok…"

Amazingly, the little one let out a few soft whimpers and stopped crying. Chase and Cameron grinned joyfully at one another. The little baby girl looked up at her parents.

"Robby," Cameron pointed out excitedly, "She has your eyes exactly."

"She does, doesn't she," Chase agreed, running his finger playfully over the bridge of his daughter's tiny nose, "And she's got your cute little nose."

"She's perfect," Cameron sniffled, another tear running down her cheek. Even Chase was near teary-eyed at the entire experience.

"What are we going to call her?" he asked after a short while.

"Natalie," Cameron said softly, pressing a feather-light kiss to her daughter's forehead, "She looks like a Natalie."

"Couldn't have said it better myself," he grinned, "How about Gabriella for her middle name?"

"Natalie Gabriella," Cameron repeated, "It's adorable."

"Natalie Gabriella Cameron-Chase," Chase nodded.

"_Cameron_-Chase?" Cameron asked, "Why not just Chase?"

"Cameron-Chase is cuter," Chase chuckled, "It's like both of us as one."

"Aww," Cameron smiled down at her baby girl, "Natalie Gabriella Cameron-Chase it is then. Our perfect little baby girl…"

_**Author's Note: **__This is part 1 out of 2 parts to chapter 1 of this new AU. Maybe it'll just turn out to be a one-shot though. It depends on school._


	2. Chapter 1 Part 2

_**Disclaimer:**__I don't own "House" or Fox. All characters you recognize are from the show and I don't own, all others not from the show I __**do**__ have the rights to. I also own the plot. All third-party companies or objects mentioned throughout this piece are not owned by me and are only props in the piece._

_**Author's Note:**__ This is a possible AU piece I did after falling in love with the entire Chameron romance. This is part 2 of 2 for chapter 1. Enjoy! Next chapter… Chase gets a little blast from the past._

_**Chapter 1 – New Beginnings**_

_**Part 2**_

Dr. Owens, a pediatrician who had just entered the room, made his way over to Cameron's bedside. They'd only had Natalie with them for ten minutes and she was already the biggest part of their family.

Chase was holding Natalie by that time. She was tucked safely in his strong arms, snuggled against his muscular chest and soft cotton t-shirt. He couldn't believe she was real. From just an image on an ultrasound screen to a real, living baby girl, Chase was completely awe-struck, amazed by his little one. He kissed her on the forehead softly and smoothed her hair.

"Drs. Cameron and Chase, congratulations," he smiled sincerely.

"Thank you," Chase nodded with a small grin before turning his gaze back to the tiny little girl in his arms.

"Mind if I check her out, just to make sure everything's going great?" Owens asked, looking between Cameron and Chase.

"Sure," Chase replied reluctantly.

Very carefully he unwillingly placed Natalie's tiny form in Owens' arms. Chase's muscles tensed just a bit. Owens was a great doctor, and Chase knew this well. But, he still couldn't help but watch every movement in case Owens made a faulty move or did something that he didn't approve of. After all, he could now pull all the rank he wanted to - **he** was the Daddy.

Ever careful too, was Cameron, who kept her eyes trained on Natalie's small figure at all times. Except, her protective instincts varied from her husband's in that she, if Owens made even the slightest mistake in handling her daughter, wasn't going to pummel him to bits like Chase, but would be there to comfort and calm Natalie like only she could. That, she would soon come to find out, is the difference in maternity and paternity. Or, at least the way in which she would handle other people around Natalie versus the way Chase would handle such matters.

Owens put his fingers on Natalie's cheeks gently. Her eyes opened widely as she leaned away from his touch to the best of her ability. The moment that Chase and Cameron had been dreading had come sooner than they anticipated – much sooner than they thought they were ready for. Though Owens did nothing to hurt the little one, Natalie decided that she didn't like being away from her parents for that long. In no time at all, soft whimpers filled the room. Both Chase and Cameron's hearts lurched, sinking to the floor. Hearing their baby girl cry was like torture.

"Uh oh," Owens said sympathetically, "It's ok. It's ok. I'm not gonna hurt you." He quickly finished his exam with a cold stethoscope to Natalie's warm chest, only making her cry harder and harder. "Ok, here ya go. Back to Mommy and Daddy. She's perfect. If you have any problems, just call."

Cameron gladly took Natalie into her arms, and held the little girl close to her chest. She moved over as Owens walked out of the room so that Chase could sit on the side of the bed. They were finally alone as a new family of three.

"Shh…" Cameron whispered, giving Natalie an innumerable amount of kisses on her forehead and cheeks, "Don't cry sweetheart. It's ok. Mommy and Daddy are right here."

"Yeah," Chase said pacifically, "That mean ol' doctor isn't coming around here anymore. Daddy won't let him." Cameron couldn't help but smile as Natalie gripped Chase's finger hard with her tiny little fist. "It's ok, Natalie. Mommy and Daddy won't ever leave you."

Natalie's cries quieted, melting into soft whimpers. Cameron looked up at Chase, her eyes glazed with tears.

"I love you with all of my heart," she said softly, her voice cracking as a few new tears started to run down her cheeks. Chase wiped her tears away.

"I love you more than life itself," Chase said with a very small grin, tears welling up in his own eyes. He kissed his wife with more love than he had ever before. Now their relationship wasn't just something between two people. They had created life – a mixture of the both of them. "Thank you," Chase whispered as he nuzzled Cameron's ear ever so slightly, kissing her temple. Natalie let out a tiny whimper.

"And of course we can't forget you, now can we?" Chase asked the little one, kissing her on the cheek, "No, 'course not. Mommy and Daddy love _you_ more than anything."

"Eight pounds, four ounces… and nineteen inches long. God, she's so cute. We should probably let the 'extended family' come in and see her now," Cameron pointed out quietly.

"You do realize that we won't get to hold her again for at least two hours if we do," Chase chuckled lightly.

"She'll get hungry around that time anyway," Cameron said with certainty, "I'd say it'll be about an hour before she gets hungry."

"And you know this how?" Chase asked curiously.

"I have absolutely no idea. I just _know_." Cameron admitted with a small smile, "Mother's Intuition, I think." Chase just grinned and kissed his wife on the cheek.

"I'll go tell everyone," he chuckled.

Chase slid the door to room 305 open and walked out. The smile on his face was bright enough to light up the entire Maternity Ward. Cuddy, Foreman, Wilson, and even Kutner all stood up to greet him with congratulations. House got up slowly and stood off towards the corner of the room.

"How is she?" Cuddy asked urgently.

"Absolutely gorgeous," Chase smiled proudly, "She's eight pounds, four ounces, and she looks just like her mother."

"How big is she?" Foreman asked, them all having placed bets on her size.

"Nineteen inches exactly," Chase chuckled. Before he could ask who won, Wilson let out an excited 'yes' and a fist pump into the air.

"You all owe me two-hundred bucks," he laughed. Chase just rolled his eyes, not exactly glad that his daughter was in the middle of the bet, but realizing that it was hopeless to try and stop it from happening.

"How's Cameron?" Cuddy asked.

"She's great," Chase chuckled, "I've never seen her so happy, actually."

"That's great, Chase," Cuddy grinned, quickly giving her friend a big hug.

"What did you name her?" Kutner asked, finally breaking his silence.

"Natalie Gabriella Cameron-Chase," Chase mused at House's new duckling, "And I'm surprised to see you here, Kutner."

"House called. Thirteen and Taub are due here anytime too," he shrugged. Chase chuckled.

"Thanks for coming just the same," he smiled.

"Can we go see her?" Cuddy asked.

"Yeah. Yeah, of course," Chase nodded with a wide grin, "She's with Ally."

Chase slid the door open and entered. Everyone followed his lead into the large room. Everyone except House, that is. Taking the opportunity, House made his way to the elevators and off to his office. No one noticed. It was working perfectly with the little plan he had concocted only hours after Cameron and Chase had let it slip that little Mrs. Wombat had a bun in the oven.

The walls were a soft yellow, illuminated by the subdued glow of the room and the gentle shimmer of the moonlight through the window. The scene that greeted them was enough to make tears well up in Cuddy's eyes immediately. Cameron was sitting up in the bed, a little pink bundle held tightly to her chest. She had the biggest smile on her face while she caressed the baby's cheek lovingly and smoothed the soft, wispy reddish-golden hair on top of Natalie's head. Looking up, the smile on Cameron's smile melted into one of complete happiness and pride as everyone watched her with Natalie.

Everyone walked over cautiously, almost afraid to make any sudden movements.

"It's ok," Cameron chuckled sweetly, looking at everyone, "She won't bite. I promise." Cuddy, Wilson, Kutner, and Foreman all laughed quietly. Cameron's gaze settled on Cuddy. "Want to hold your goddaughter?"

"Of course," Cuddy grinned, blinking back tears.

Cameron sat up a bit more in the bed, adjusting Natalie in her arms as the baby's godmother brought the chair right next to Cameron's bed. Cuddy sat down in the chair next to Cameron's bed. Everyone in the room was silent as Cameron very gently placed Natalie in her godmother's arms.

"Oh my God," Cuddy let out with a nervous laugh, settling Natalie in her arms, "She's beautiful." Cameron and Chase both looked at one another and smiled. Within moments, Wilson, Foreman, and Kutner were all huddled close to Cuddy, watching Natalie open and close her eyes drowsily. Suddenly, reacting no doubt to the suffocating crowd of unfamiliar people, Natalie let out a small whimper. Her mother and father immediately worked to comfort her. Chase got up and made his way over to the side of the chair that Cuddy was sitting in, crouching down so that he was eye-level with his daughter. He softly stroked the top of her head, smoothing her feathery hair that was just barely starting to spike up in the back like Alfalfa from _The Little Rascals_.

"Shh…" Cameron soothed gently, letting Natalie grab her finger tightly, "It's ok, sweetie. Mommy and Daddy are right here." Her mother's voice being an instant pacifier, Natalie calmed down within seconds. It was obvious to everyone in the room that both Chase and Cameron were definitely ready for parenthood.

"She looks just like you, Allison," Wilson remarked quietly, "Only, she's got Chase's eyes and a mix of your hair colors."

"Hey, sweetheart," Cuddy smiled as the baby in her arms looked up at her, "Hey, I'm your godmother."

"And I'm your Uncle Eric," Foreman added, grinning down at Natalie.

"And, of course," Cuddy added with a soft laugh, "Who could forget Uncle Jimmy?" Wilson just smiled and let out a small chuckle. "She's the most beautiful baby I've ever seen," she remarked softly, grinning from Chase to Cameron.

"Thanks," Chase smiled. Cameron quickly wiped another tear from her face.

Cameron looked at Chase after noticing that someone was missing.

"Where's House?" she mouthed. He looked around and shrugged empathetically.

Cameron sighed. Some weird part of her wanted him there. She wanted him there for her, for Chase, for his goddaughter. But he wasn't. He had become like her father all throughout her pregnancy. Yeah, she loved Chase more than life itself. But, at the same time, she also loved House – but in a _very_ different way. He would never be "the one" – nothing like that. (She even shuddered at the thought of being with another man besides Chase.) No, but he was just like her father figure in many ways. She found herself looking up to him, going to him for support when Chase was away at a conference or in the middle of a surgery and she needed to talk to someone. He was there. For some reason, while she was pregnant, he would always listen. He never had before, and she doubted that he ever would again, but he did let her in. (Even if it was only because she was hormonal and huge.)

But, of course, Chase and her daughter were all she would ever want and need for the rest of her life. He was, and always would be, her knight in shining armor. Now, with Natalie in their lives, she couldn't feel more complete. _This is what happiness is._

Up in House's office…

House opened the door to his office hastily. It was dark – uncomfortably so. Despite the lack of light, he hobbled back to his desk, discarding his cane on top of its messy surface. His usual tennis ball went bouncing across the floor when he ripped one of the drawers open. House knew he should have done this earlier. He had no idea why, but he wanted to be down with Cameron, Chase, and the rest of the 'extended family.' He wanted to see his goddaughter. But, no, he was up here digging for something he'd gotten for the little one a long time ago.

Finally, he pulled the wrapped box out of his desk drawer.

"Ah ha!" he exclaimed, "Gottcha."

With that, he grabbed his cane, office still in disarray, and made his way out of his office. It was about 3:40 AM and the hospital was unusually quiet, even for that time of the morning. He shrugged it off and walked through the elevator doors. Next stop: goddaughter.

Bing. The elevator doors opened to the third-floor Maternity Ward. This was it – House's make-or-break moment. Something was gnawing at him through this entire experience. From the moment he had found out that Cameron was pregnant, to seeing her in that room just moments earlier, something changed. He wasn't just her misanthropic, drug-addicted, pain-in-the-ass old boss. He genuinely cared about her… even if it was in his own weird way. Like the gift in his hand; the bow ruffling as he walked down the hallway – it was going to be a way of showing he cared, in his unique way.

He stopped abruptly. Room 305. No one was outside. Obviously they'd all gone in already. House took a deep breath and slid the door open…

What he found was Chase sitting on the side of Cameron's bed, kissing her on the cheek as they both watched Cuddy and the others with Natalie, who was still holding onto her mother's finger.

"Get a room," he mumbled.

"House?" Chase and Cameron both said at the same time.

"Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt your little make-out session," he smirked.

"Oh stop," Cuddy reprimanded in a quiet tone.

When Foreman, Kutner, and Wilson saw the present in House's hand, they decided it was time to leave.

"It's probably time for us to go," Foreman said quietly. He walked to Cameron's bedside and gave her a quick hug, "Congratulations, Cameron."

"Thanks, Eric," Cameron said sweetly, hugging him back.

After shaking Chase's hand with a congratulatory pat on the back, Foreman excused himself.

Kutner gave a quick nod, "Congrats." He walked out of the room awkwardly.

Wilson smiled and chuckled a bit. "I'm so happy for you guys. Congratulations." He, like Foreman, gave Cameron a congratulatory hug. Then Wilson turned to Chase, "Congrats, Chase. You guys will make great parents."

"Thanks, James," Cameron grinned.

Wilson turned to Natalie, "Bye, sweetie." With that and a smile, he was out of the room.

House looked around the room uncomfortably, refusing to let his eyes settle on the little bundle in Cuddy's arms. He handed Cameron the present, wrapped in paper that said 'it's a girl' with little bottles, blocks, and pacifiers printed on it. "Here…"

"You shouldn't have," Cameron said suspiciously.

"Ah, it was nothing," House forced back a laugh.

"Thanks," Cameron half-smiled, handing the present off to Chase, who placed it on the bedside table.

"You're not even gonna open it?" House whined quietly.

"I'm a little busy," Cameron pointed out softly, motioning over to where she was stroking Natalie's little arm while the baby gripped her finger tightly.

House followed her gaze, his stare landing on the little baby in Cuddy's arms. The whole sight made him uneasy. _Cameron is a mother?_ He couldn't get used to the fact that she had given birth – that she wasn't just Chase's wife… she was this little baby girl's mother. He felt like a father who had just walked his baby girl down the isle on her wedding day. The feelings scared the living daylights out of him.

"Do you want to hold her?" Cameron asked, breaking House's silence.

"No," House answered quickly.

"Yeah, Natalie loves you too," Chase shook his head.

"I never said I didn't love her…" House said honestly. Everyone's mouths dropped open. "Oh, wait," he smirked, "You got me."

"You're holding her whether you like it or not," Cameron growled.

"Or what? Bed-ridden Mommy is gonna send me up to my room?" House scoffed.

"Uh oh…" Chase mumbled.

"No," Cameron said seriously, "Hormonal, overprotective, exhausted Mommy is going to get very, very angry at said stubborn, irritating godfather."

"If I hold the kid will you stop talking?" House whined.

"Mhmm," Cameron said triumphantly.

"Fine," House grumbled. Of course he wanted to hold his goddaughter, but it was uncharacteristic of him to not put up a fight on such 'touching' matters.

Cameron grinned, gently letting go of Natalie's hand. The little baby was fast asleep in Cuddy's arms as she got up and walked over to House. With his cane hung on the foot of the bed, House stifled a hesitant swallow as he looked at Natalie. Both Cameron and Chase watched in silence as Cuddy passed Natalie from her arms to House's.

He held her in his arms for a moment, feeling like an idiot – not knowing what to do. She was so little. She was _Cameron_… but as a baby with lighter hair and bluer eyes. Otherwise, every feature from her nose to her mouth was the exact same. She was… _perfect_. Realizing what holding Natalie was doing to him – how it was making him feel, House quickly walked over to the bedside.

"Here," he mumbled, gently handing the little baby girl to Chase.

With that, House collected his cane and started out of the room without a word.

"House," Cameron called after him. But he didn't answer. He was gone.

"I'll leave you two alone," Cuddy said softly, giving both Cameron and Chase warm hugs, "She's beautiful. And you two will make fantastic parents. Congratulations."

"Thank you," Cameron smiled, hugging her back. Chase followed suit soon after, being very careful about having Natalie in his arms again. In no time, they were alone again.

"You know," Chase broke the silence, "I really didn't think it was possible for House to love someone." He looked at Cameron, "Guess I was wrong."

"No offence, honey, but… I hope you're wrong," Cameron admitted.

"You can't be worried about him accepting Natalie, Ally," Chase said soothingly.

"It's not that," Cameron sighed, looking deeply into Chase's eyes before taking his lips with a passionate kiss, "It's just that, I got my happy ending. You and Natalie are everything I'll ever want and need. I can't imagine having a different life. It's _perfect_. But, House refuses to be happy. He _loves_ Natalie. I saw it – I know he does. He loves Lisa too. But, he refuses it all."

"You can't save everybody," Chase whispered softly.

"I know," Cameron agreed, a smile forming on her face, "But I really don't think it matters anymore. You and Natalie are the only people in this world that I care about."

"And, as long as you're happy, I'm ecstatic," Chase chuckled quietly.

"Good," Cameron teased, smiling down at her baby girl, "Because, Mr. Ecstatic, we're in for some very long nights because of this little one. Which means, no Mr. Grumpy-Gills."

"You've been brushing up on your Disney movies, haven't you?" Chase teased back, bringing Natalie further up on his chest so that he could kiss her cheek.

"Gotta start somewhere," Cameron chuckled, "And, yes, sweetheart, I did see you the other day watching _The Little Mermaid_ in the Pediatrics Wing."

Before Chase had time to make some kind of useless excuse, Natalie started to cry in his arms.

"Uh oh…" he murmured.

"She's hungry," Cameron said softly.

"Do you want me to get the nurse?" Chase asked, carefully placing Natalie in her mother's arms.

"Why?" Cameron returned.

"So she can… help you… feed Natalie," Chase babbled, "Or start to… or something." He was obviously nervous. "I mean, do you know how to…?"

"Close the blinds," Cameron said while nodding towards the door. Chase quickly went and shut the blinds, making the room even darker than it already was. He stood at the door awkwardly. "Why are you so nervous all of a sudden?"

"Fatherhood makes me nervous…" Chase mumbled. Cameron managed to calm Natalie to a few soft whimpers as her husband made his way back over to the bed to sit next to her.

"Here," Cameron motioned softly, handing Natalie off to Chase, "hold her for a second." She noticed Chase's nervous expression and gave him a small grin, "Maternal instinct." Chase looked like he was going to have a coronary any second.

In a few moments, Cameron had Natalie nursing successfully. The only sounds in the room were Natalie's soft suckling noises and gentle breathing. Cameron was resting on Chase's chest the entire time, his head on her shoulder as he watched their daughter. Suddenly Cameron felt a hot wet spot on her bare shoulder. She looked up to find Chase's left cheek tearstained and his face a dull red. His unwavering gaze was focused intently on Natalie.

"It just hit me…" he mumbled almost inaudibly.

"I know," Cameron soothed, "And it's ok… it's gonna be ok…"

"I know…" Chase smiled. _This is everything I ever wanted and so much more._

Cameron felt Chase nuzzle her ear affectionately. She smiled. _I couldn't be happier than I am right now – at this very moment in time, with my husband and my beautiful baby girl._


	3. Chapter 2 Looking Back Part 1

_**Disclaimer:**__I don't own "House" or Fox. All characters you recognize are from the show and I don't own, all others not from the show I __**do**__ have the rights to. I also own the plot. All third-party companies or objects mentioned throughout this piece are not owned by me and are only props in the piece._

_**Author's Note:**__ Ok, so I got another couple of ideas. So, now, Chase's encounter with his past (part 2) begins through reminiscing on his adventures hitherto with fatherhood. Again, this is really long so it was split into parts (hence the 'again'). Warning: __**mega**__ Chameron fluff. Italics are flashbacks or thoughts – you can tell by the context._

_**Chapter 2 – Looking Back into the Past**_

_**Part 1**_

Chase jolted awake, sweat plastering his blonde locks to his forehead as he gasped for air. Whipping his head around, he glanced at the clock to find that it was 4:52 AM. Both he and his wife had only gone to sleep thirty minutes prior. Cameron was thankfully still asleep next to him – he didn't want her to see him wake up like this. _I haven't had that nightmare in twelve years…_ _and it's still scary as hell._

"Oh God…" he mumbled, pushing the hair back from his forehead only to find that he was soaking wet. _Thank God Ally rolled over. This would be embarrassing to explain._

The room was completely peaceful. Chase glanced at his wife, who was smiling in her sleep. After a few moments of watching her sleep in silence, he tucked some of her soft brown hair behind her ear.

"I love you," he whispered before kissing his wife's forehead.

Suddenly, tiny movements caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. Chase turned to find Natalie stirring from her sleep. He held back a chuckle at how cute she looked and gently took her into his arms as he got up off of the bed.

"Couldn't sleep either, huh?" he whispered quietly. Natalie just fussed a bit in response, shutting her eyes tight.

Cameron's eyes opened immediately after hearing Natalie's tiny cry, "What happened? Is she ok?"

"She's fine," Chase said softly, "Go back to sleep, Ally. I'll take care of it. You need your rest."

"Thanks," Cameron chuckled. Chase just grinned and started to walk out of the room. "I love you."

He quickly stopped to look back at his wife. "I love you too." Natalie protested in her father's arms. "Apparently Natalie wants to say that she loves her Mommy too." Both he and Cameron had wide smiles on their faces. "Now go back to sleep, honey. Who knows when Alfalfa will be hungry again...?"

"Alfalfa?" Cameron asked in horror.

"Look at her hair," Chase laughed, smoothing Natalie's soft, fluffy hair.

"She's not even two hours old and you're already calling her 'Alfalfa'?" Cameron sighed, shaking her head, "God help me."

"Hey, you married me," Chase chuckled before giving Cameron an adorable puppy-dog pout. She just groaned.

"You're so lucky you're cute," she grumbled.

"Well, apparently _Natalie_ doesn't think so. She takes after you," he rolled his eyes, "Honey, please, just get some sleep. For me?" He held Natalie up so that Cameron could see her little baby girl. "For Natalie…?"

Cameron just smiled, "Where are you going anyway?"

"To take a walk," Chase winked, opening the door of the room and walking out. Cameron shrugged, not even wanting to contemplate what the wink meant. A grin developed on her face as she shut her eyes and fell back asleep.

C-h-a-m-e-r-o-n-4-e-v-e-r

Chase walked with a slow, calming gait down the hallway. At 4 in the morning, the hospital was empty. He had escaped the Maternity Ward like a criminal from the scene of the crime, stealthily and quickly. Natalie was asleep in his arms, waking up at intermittent periods only to look up at him with blurry vision for a few moments before falling back asleep again.

Chase loved the fact that he could hold Natalie and just make her fall asleep, safe in his strong arms. He knew she couldn't focus in on his appearance. In a way, that was a mask to him, a safety net to keep his insecurities hidden. That dream still haunted him. That damn dream – the only thing that he would _never _tell Cameron about. It wasn't that she would see him any differently, question his manhood or anything. No, nothing like that. He didn't know why he was afraid. He didn't _want_ to know why he was so afraid. Cameron would understand if he did tell her. She always would. She'd always be there, always loving, always making him feel vital as a man and her husband. Still, he couldn't tell her. Sure he kept secrets from her. She kept secrets from him too, he was sure. But they were trivial things like whom he dated in college. Or, in Cameron's case, whom she had her first kiss with. One day, when they were older, they would probably tell one another. But this secret, this secret that made him who he was, he would never tell her. So, in many ways, he felt safe behind Natalie's blurred vision. She couldn't see him, couldn't see the anxiety in his eyes that hid just behind the joy. He was a clean slate to her.

"I love you," he whispered to the sleeping baby in his arms, bringing her closer so that he could place a kiss onto her forehead.

Suddenly he stopped in his tracks, looking up at the lettering above the modern double doors: **Chase Wing – Department of Immunology**. Chase smiled. After he and Cameron had asked Cuddy to be their child's godmother months past, she named the new Immunology Wing after them. The fact that Cuddy named an entire wing of the hospital, a new wing of the hospital, really in honor of their child was truly the most touching display of Cuddy's affection he'd ever seen. He had no doubt that she would act as Natalie's in-house grandmother, spoiling the little girl rotten. (As if she already hadn't with the entire hospital wing…)

Looking down, Chase grinned at his daughter. _That is, if your mother and I don't spoil you rotten first._

"I really hope your mother has the stomach to say no to you," Chase chuckled, "Because there's no way I'll be able to. I'll be the first to admit it, I'm completely wrapped around your little finger."

He pushed the doors open and walked through them. There weren't any patients yet, so he knew it was safe and sterile. They were almost done with the construction on the wing, but not completely. Soft lighting made the entire area glow.

"This is Mommy's department," Chase stated proudly in a soft tone to the sleeping baby in his arms, "You'll be spending a lot of time here, so get comfy."

He padded softly down the vast halls of the department. It was huge, one of the biggest wings in the hospital. Chase stopped at yet another door. This one was an office – Cameron's office. He opened the door carefully, letting the light from outside of the room flood the darkness. Chase didn't bother turning the light to the room on as he walked in. The door was open and the windows that covered the back of the office allowed the lights from the street and the cars below to shine through.

"And this is Mommy's office," Chase whispered, glancing around the room.

It was like House's office, only a bit bigger. Cameron had her own office area, and a conference-style room for her team of two young immunologists. But, her office was more private than House's was because the room wasn't enclosed in sheer glass, but frosted glass, except for the back wall that was facing outside, which was regular glass. The entire office wasn't complete yet, but soon it would be filled with Cameron's tasteful office furniture and decorative fluff. In essence, soon, it would be _her_ office, not just the office of the Head of the Department of Immunology.

Chase walked over to the windows and sat down in front of the vast expanse of floor-to-ceiling glass, glancing over the courtyard below. The view was the best in the hospital in his opinion. The courtyard was always peaceful. Fountains, flora, and fauna alike graced the serene stretch of land. Sometimes, when he or Cameron needed to talk to one another about some problem they were having with their patients or just having a bad day, they would walk through the courtyard. It was a favorite of Cameron's to walk down by the fountain and sit on its edge, watching the water ripple out from the little drops of water. It was favorite of his to watch the gentle sunlight play over his wife's face. The courtyard was their escape, and the fountain was their secret hiding place where they could seclude themselves from the world for even a moment. The entire ordeal was so childish, but so comforting.

It was at that very spot that he first noticed Cameron's baby bump. He knew that she was pregnant, but he hadn't seen the proof until that one day. He couldn't have loved her more in his lifetime than he did in that one moment:

_"Hey you," Cameron laughed sweetly._

_"Hey yourself," Chase teased back, wrapping his arms around his wife, "How are you?"_

_"Just fine," Cameron grinned, giving her husband a passionate kiss, "The ER has been packed today. Tons of little kids with broken arms and other ones in need of stitches."_

_"And you've taken a liking to these little kids I'm assuming?" Chase winked._

_"I'm not sure what you mean," Cameron teased, hiding her smile._

_"Oh, I don't know," Chase bantered, "It could have something to do with the fact that you're going to be a mother in a couple of months. Maybe…"_

_"Shh!" Cameron glared at her husband playfully, "No one knows yet! I want to keep it a surprise until we're ready to announce it. Besides I'm not even showing that much." Chase didn't even know she was showing. Cameron backed out of Chase's embrace to sit on the edge of the fountain. She leaned back slightly, supporting her weight on her hands. In that pose, her curves were completely visible under her tight cabernet-colored sweater._

_That's when he saw it. It was faint, just the tiniest curve – but it was there. Chase's heart started to pound within his chest. He never really saw it before. Cameron was so excited when she said that she was showing, but he didn't see it until now. A love-struck smile graced his face._

_"What?" Cameron asked, looking at her husband quizzically. Chase walked up to her and sat down behind his wife, letting her lean on his chest._

_"You're showing," he whispered with a wide smile._

_"I've been telling you that for the past week," Cameron rolled her eyes._

_"I'm slow with these things," Chase joked._

_"So, your point is…?" Cameron asked playfully._

_"You're showing," he grinned, "and it's really turning me on." Chase nuzzled her ear slightly. "I thought it was impossible, but the tummy makes you even more irresistible."_

_"So what? You're going to do me in the middle of the courtyard?" Cameron giggled, "Cuddy would have our heads above her fireplace."_

_Chase's pager went off._

_"Ugh," he groaned, "It's the ICU."_

_"Yeah, I kind of figured," Cameron smiled "I mean, they tend to call you a lot when you're the Head of the ICU."_

_"Yeah," Chase scoffed disappointedly, "But that means that I spend less time with you."_

_"I'll drop by your office later," Cameron said reassuringly, "I have a meeting with Cuddy for some reason. Then I'll drop by, ok?"_

_"Ok," Chase pouted, getting up to leave._

_"Hey, wait a second," Cameron stopped him, "You can't leave without saying goodbye." Chase just grinned and wrapped his arms around his wife. She took his lips gently with hers, and caressed his cheek. "I love you, baby."_

_"I love you too," he smiled widely before another ring of his pager had him off and running._

"But how this wing was named after you is a different story…" Chase remembered, gazing down at his little one, "Mommy and Daddy had a fun time planning how we were going to announce you to the world. We figured that three months was a good time to tell everyone. So, when Mommy was three months pregnant with you, we worked out a way to surprise everyone, and kept it a secret until Valentine's Day. It all started one morning after Mommy and Daddy went to work…"

_"C'mon!" Cameron whispered with a muffled giggle as she yanked Chase into the Doctors Lounge. He let out a yelp as his head collided with the wall._

_"Ow!" he groaned._

_"We have to hurry," Cameron urged, "This isn't going to work if we get caught." She let go of her husband's hand and threw open the bag that she had strapped to her back._

_"Alright," Chase agreed, retrieving the contents of the bag. _

_It was an ice cream container – chocolate to be exact. Inside was a mixture of the ice cream and pickle chips. On the front, the brand name was obscured by a label that read: To: House. It was typed so that the handwriting couldn't be traced by girly G's or any other descriptors (as House so blatantly criticized Cameron's handwriting). The concoction was disgusting to both Chase and Cameron, but it relayed the message that they wanted to get across._

_"Put it in the freezer with the label facing out," Cameron nodded towards the fridge in kitchen area of the lounge. Chase did as she instructed, making sure that everyone could see it. A smirk formed on his lips when the job was done._

_"We're so dead," he laughed._

_"We're __**so**__ having a baby," she countered, sending a wink her husband's way._

_"That is definitely true," Chase said, trying to hold in a chuckle._

_"Ok, we gotta run," Cameron said urgently, "If anyone finds us in here, we're toast." She grabbed Chase's hand and pulled him behind her. They were out of the Doctors Lounge in no time flat._

_Chase and Cameron walked out to the courtyard casually, as if they hadn't been running away from planting a clue to their master plan in the Doctors Lounge._

_"My head still hurts," Chase groaned as they both sat on a bench._

_"C'mere," Cameron murmured softly, pulling Chase close to her so that he could lean on her chest. He laid his head on her chest as she wrapped her arms tightly around him, and pressed tender kisses into his soft hair. "Better?"_

_"Much," Chase smiled, closing his eyes. He could spend forever in Cameron's arms and be the happiest man in the world. They spent five minutes like that in silence._

_"You ready for phase two?" Cameron asked finally._

_ "Do we have to?" Chase whined, crossing his arms over Cameron's so that she couldn't let go of him._

_"Yes," she smiled playfully, tracing his jaw line with her finger, "Don't you want everyone to know? Don't you want them to find out why we've been sneaking around for the past couple of months, why my clothing is getting looser and looser?"_

_"Of course," Chase half-smiled, "I just don't want to move."_

_"You can sit like this all night," Cameron said softly, reaching just under her husband's shirt collar to run her fingers across his muscular shoulder, "But maybe with less clothing?" Chase didn't respond, staring silently off into the distance. "What's the problem, baby?"_

_"Nothing," Chase mumbled, snaking out from under Cameron's arms and getting up off of the bench, "Let's just get this over with." He started walking towards the building._

_"Hey, hey, hey," Cameron called after him, running to stop her husband, "Robert, stop." Chase halted and turned around slowly to face his wife. She never used his full first name unless it was serious._

_"What?" he asked, his tone a bit harsher than he had intended._

_"What's wrong?" Cameron asked worriedly. Chase sighed, taking his wife's hand in his._

_"I don't know," he admitted quietly, "I'm just nervous, I guess." In reality, his greatest fear was haunting him, but he would never tell her that. Cameron knew there was something else, but decided that now wasn't the time._

_"Robbie," she soothed, wrapping her arm around his waist and bringing her other hand up to stroke his cheek, "Baby, it's gonna be ok."_

_"Promise?" Chase asked quietly, sounding like a little boy asking his mother to promise that there weren't any monsters under his bed. Cameron gave her husband a gentle kiss._

_"I promise," she whispered against his lips, her own forming a smile, "Now let's go engage phase 2."_

_"Roger that, soccer mom," Chase winked before starting to retreat back to the hospital. Cameron shook her head with mock anger._

_"Get your ass back here! You'll pay for that Robert Chase!" she teased, running after her husband._

_After another fifteen minutes of sneaking around the hospital, Chase and Cameron had successfully completed their entire plan. _

_They had both been back in their offices for over two hours when House came barging through the door to Cameron's office. The hand that she had over her stomach protectively quickly dropped at his entry._

_"Are you pregnant?" he asked loudly, his voice filling the entire room_

_"House, if you think I need to lose some weight, you should just say so," Cameron deadpanned, "Now get out of my office."_

_"You so are!" he smirked triumphantly._

_"Your point being…?" she raised an eyebrow while looking down at the papers she was signing._

_"Seriously? You are?" House asked curiously._

_"Three months," she answered simply, knowing that he wouldn't believe her._

_"No you're not," House accused after her recovered from his stupor._

_"On the first try too," Cameron chuckled. It was the truth._

_"Seriously?" House asked anxiously._

_"Like you wouldn't have noticed me having morning sickness, or going to the bathroom constantly," Cameron scoffed, "Then again, I could be lying. You're slipping at noticing things. Like when I was in the ER for three weeks without you noticing. I really could be three months pregnant and you'd never know. But I'm not."_

_Cameron dropped her pen on her desk, leaned back in her chair, and crossed her arms, all while looking at her former boss._

_"I wish…" she said in a low tone of voice. The relief on House's face was hilarious, making Cameron dig her nails into her palms under the desk to stop from laughing._

_"Trouble in Australia?" House asked mockingly._

_"No," Cameron growled, "We just haven't had a great time to start a family in the middle of all of this. With Chase being named as the Head of the ICU and me as the new Head of Immunology, it's been really chaotic. Not exactly ideal conditions for being pregnant, in my opinion." House, not really being around Cameron that much anymore, took this at face value, thinking that her moral compass would never let her lie._

_"Then what is this?" he asked, hobbling over and throwing the tub of ice cream on Cameron's desk. She took a look at it._

_"Um… chocolate ice cream with your name on it?" she said quizzically, opening the top and making a disgusted face, "With pickles in it. Gross!" She quickly shoved the lid back on the container and threw it back at him. "And you're accusing me of being pregnant? I'm not the one eating this crap."_

_"Who else would do this besides you and lover-boy?" he asked._

_"Cuddy?" Cameron hinted, "An early Valentine's Day present?"_

_"Valentine's Day is tomorrow," House rolled his eyes._

_"Hence __**early**__," Cameron laughed. The room was silent for a minute._

_"So you're not pregnant?" House asked, almost disappointed – __**almost,**__ but not quite yet._

_"Sorry to disappoint you," Cameron said softly, "But no."_

_"Oh…" House said awkwardly, turning to leave._

_"House," Cameron stopped him as he turned around, "Why do you care so much?"_

_"It's interesting," House replied._

_"No it's not. Pregnancy is boring… to you. It's because it would be me," she grinned, knowing her former boss all too well._

_"Don't flatter yourself," House grumbled._

_"I'm a big girl, House," Cameron reminded him gently, "Chase and I are going to get pregnant someday. Deal with it." House just looked at her uncomfortably and walked out. Cameron put her hand back on her stomach protectively. "A lot sooner than you think."_

_**Valentine's Day 2008 (the next day)**_

_At 2:00 PM that afternoon, Wilson, Foreman, House, Thirteen, Kutner, and Taub all got pages that they were needed urgently in the Diagnostics Office._

_"What happened?" Wilson asked urgently as he made his way into the Diagnostics Office. Cuddy, Foreman, and the new ducklings were already there._

_"No idea," Cuddy answered, motioning towards the wrapped gifts on the table and the covered whiteboard. Each present had a name card on it that stated the recipient's name and the instructions to open the present as soon as everyone was in the room. The board also had directions for House to uncover it after he opened his gift._

_"Who did this?" Foreman asked, looking around._

_"No idea," Cuddy stated again. Just then, House walked into the room._

_"What is this?" he asked._

_"Apparently, someone wanted to surprise all of us," Taub interjected._

_"Duh," House deadpanned._

_"We should probably open the gifts," Kutner suggested, seeing that everyone was present and starting on the bow topping his. House jabbed Kutner with his cane._

_"The board says not to uncover it before opening the gifts," House pointed out, "That means uncover that first."_

_Everyone rolled their eyes as House went and yanked the black cover off of the board. He grimaced with disappointment. It read:_

_**Knew you would check this first.**_

_**Try again, House.**_

_**Open the gifts.**_

_"Looks like Cameron knows you too well," Foreman smirked, "So she's behind this. That's sweet of her."_

_"No," Wilson laughed, "Her __**and**__ Chase are behind this."_

_"Aussie boy just went along with it for the sex…" House grumbled._

_"I think we should open the gifts," Cuddy said thoughtfully, "They went through a lot of trouble."_

_"Fine," House acquiesced as everyone sat down at the table._

_"All at once?" Taub asked, "Or one at a time?"_

_"That would be way too many people in one bed, Taub," House snickered._

_"Ignoring that," Cuddy rolled her eyes, "Just open them."_

_Cuddy shrugged and started in on her gift. Everyone else started slower, almost waiting to see if she was going to get pelted by spring-loaded snakes or something childish like that. When she undid the bow and tore off the wrapping paper, the box underneath looked like it held clothes. Curious, everyone watched as she opened it and peeled back the tissue paper._

_"Oh my God," she murmured, a hand going up to cover her mouth. She was in total shock._

_"What?" Wilson asked._

_"Open yours," she urged, "House, you too."_

_"I don't wanna!" House whined._

_"Oh, give me that," Cuddy grumbled, grabbing House's gift and opening it for him. A smile crossed her face that stretched from ear to ear when she realized that it wasn't a joke._

_"Uncle Jimmy?" Wilson read aloud, pulling the T-shirt from the box, "What is this supposed to mean?"_

_Before Cuddy could answer, they all heard a tap on the glass that broke their concentrated trances. Outside the glass of the Diagnostics Office stood Cameron and Chase, both with __**huge**__ smiles. Cameron's shirt read: Mommy, and Chase's: Daddy. A big whiteboard that they had wheeled down the hall was between them. The board was bordered by long printouts of ultrasound pictures, and it read:_

_**Everybody Lies…**_

_**Right, House?**_

_**Three months pregnant and counting!**_

_**(Tried to tell you…)**_

_**-Happy Valentine's Day-**_

_**Love,**_

_**The Chase Family**_

_**-Robbie, Ally, and baby-Chase-on-the-way-**_

_The happy couple ditched the whiteboard to walk into the room._

_"Surprised?" Cameron asked. Everyone was in complete shock. Cuddy was the first to come out of her trance. She shot out of her chair like a bullet out of a gun, rushing over to hug Cameron and Chase._

_"Oh my God! Congratulations!" she exclaimed as she almost tackled Cameron with a strong hug. Then it was on to Chase, whom Cuddy almost crushed to death._

_"Thanks," Cameron smiled sweetly, hugging her back, "I take it you liked the shirt? I mean, only if you want to be…"_

_"Your child's godmother?" Cuddy asked, "Of course!" _

_Cameron and Chase smiled happily. It was the perfect picture of a great big happy family. Wilson, Taub, Foreman, Thirteen, and Kutner all gave them congratulations and big hugs. Well, except for House being House, the scene was picture perfect._

_"I tried to tell you," Cameron laughed as she sat down next to House while everyone else conversed with Chase about whether he wanted a boy or a girl, if they had any name ideas yet, and other things like that._

_"Uh huh," he mumbled. Cameron looked at him seriously, yet her kind expression and loving nature shone through like the sun through clouds._

_"Will you be our baby's godfather?" she asked softly. House said nothing, but nodded slightly. "Can I have a hug?"_

_"Don't push it," he grumbled._

_"Giving hugs won't kill you, ya know," Cameron smirked, getting up. House got up as well, planning on exiting the room. But she stopped him by warmly embracing him in a friendly hug. House's body stiffened. He couldn't help noticing how awkward he felt at all of the stares he was getting._

_"Do you mind?" he asked quietly._

_"Oh, get over it," Cuddy interjected, "She and Chase are having a baby for God sakes, and you're the godfather." Cameron chuckled and let go of her former boss, giving him a sweet kiss on the cheek between her own giggles._

_When she looked back at her husband, he was grimacing. Cameron laughed and walked over to him, taking Chase's lips in a tender kiss that assured her allegiances to him and no one else. This would go down in history as one of the happiest days in all of their lives, the day in which they all shared a common bond with one another and forgot, if only for a moment, about the stresses of everyday life to revel in the miracle of new life. It was, for many in that room, a chance to start over, beginning when they stepped out of the doors to the office._

"And that's how your godmother named the wing after you. I guess she had to channel all of her excitement into something…" Chase chuckled, "Oh well, I'm not complaining." He stroked Natalie's cheek, making her eyelids shut for longer and longer intervals as she fell asleep.

**-Fin-**

**Part 1**


	4. Chapter 2 Looking Back Part 2

_**Disclaimer:**__I don't own "House" or Fox. All characters you recognize are from the show and I don't own, all others not from the show I __**do**__ have the rights to. I also own the plot. All third-party companies or objects mentioned throughout this piece are not owned by me and are only props in the piece._

_**Author's Note:**__ When someone from Chase's past returns, he will have to face his worst fear in order to overcome it. I guess there are some spoilers for "Cursed" – but not really. Both Chase and Cameron will have issues of this sort throughout the story. Enjoy!_

_**Chapter 2 – Looking Back into the Past**_

_**Part 2**_

Natalie was sound asleep in her father's arms as he walked past several newly finished rooms in the Immunology Department.

"You're gonna have fun running around this hospital," Chase chuckled in a whisper, looking down at his daughter, "Mommy has the biggest department in the entire hospital for you to run around in. There's no way either of us will be able to say 'no' to you – there's just no way. House, er, your godfather, will just be himself. He'll teach you to be just as much of a rule-breaker as he is, but you'll have fun every step of the way. And, well, with your godmother as the Dean of Medicine, she'll bail you out of every situation and protect you from everything that Mommy and I can't – like other doctors who won't like the fact that you're sticking around here. Either way, you're not even more than five hours old and you've already got the hospital wired. You've got an entire wing of the hospital named in your honor, the Dean as your godmother, the doctor with the most leeway as far as behavior goes as your godfather, the Head of the Immunology Department as your mother, me, well, I head the ICU, your Uncle Jimmy heads Oncology, and House's fellows are your other 'aunts and uncles.' You'll be getting so much attention and love it'll be crazy."

By that time, it was 6:30 in the morning. The sun was starting to peak through the windows in the rooms and fill the entire wing with sunlight.

"We should probably get back to Mommy, huh?" Chase asked the still-sleeping Natalie.

Sure enough, Chase's BlackBerry started to vibrate in his pocket. He took it out and looked at the text message: _Where are you? I miss you both – a lot… make that a ton._

He smiled and typed back: _CHASE Wing. Coming back._

Chase's BlackBerry vibrated again. But this time, instead of a smile, the color drained out of his face at the next message: _There's some guy standing outside of the room. He keeps looking at the door like he wants to come in, and I have no idea who he is. He's either got the wrong room, or he's here on purpose._

Typing furiously, Chase messaged his reply: _I'll be right there. Hold on._

Chase sprinted down the hallway, skidding to make a right down another short stretch of hallway before he reached the elevators. There was no way he was taking any chances. Cameron sounded anxious, and that was never a good thing. Natalie was still asleep in his arms as he reached them and pressed the 'down' button.

"C'mon, c'mon," he urged.

The doors opened and he flew inside. It seemed like forever to get down to the third floor Maternity Ward.

Peeling out of the elevator, Chase made a break for the room. But, when he rounded the corner and saw the man standing in front of the door, Chase skidded to a complete stop. His protective hold on Natalie tightened as Chase held his baby girl closer to his chest. Fear and anxiety caused adrenaline to course madly through his body, ripping through every inch of his person like wildfire. Every muscle in Chase's body tensed and his senses honed on the man standing outside of the room. His instincts seemed to drive him to one function: to protect his family. The instinct, however, wasn't to protect them from physical harm, but psychological harm – the kind of pain that Chase knew this man could inflict on people. Chase knew the man – knew him well. Or, he used to know him well. It didn't matter anymore. Anger was bubbling in his chest, rising from the depths of his darkest dreams.

Yet, Cameron's needs came before his. Chase started walking with a determined pace towards the room. The man turned quickly after hearing Chase's heavy footfalls.

"Robert…" the man said quickly.

Chase completely ignored him and escaped inside of the room. In one swift movement, he kicked the door shut and closed the blinds.

"Robbie," Cameron sighed with relief upon seeing her husband. When she noticed the furious expression on his face and in his movements, Cameron immediately started to worry. "Baby, what's wrong? Are you ok?"

"I'm fine," Chase mumbled, sitting on the edge of the bed and carefully handing Natalie to her mother.

"Robbie, honey, no you're not," Cameron said softly, glancing up briefly from her daughter to look at Chase.

"You don't need to worry about it. You've got enough to worry about already," Chase murmured, looking at the floor.

"Baby, look at me," Cameron coaxed, reaching up to caress her husband's cheek. He looked at her, the anger in his eyes glinting behind his self control. "I'm your wife, and I love you more than life itself as part of that. I took a vow to always be there for you, but I can't do that if you won't tell me what's wrong."

"He'smyfather," Chase blurted out. Cameron hid the shock from her face, locking his gaze. "He's gone from my life for twelve years and he just shows up! On today of all days!"

"I know," Cameron soothed, taking Chase's hand in hers, "But he's here. No matter how much you never wanted to see him again, it sucks, but he's here."

"I don't know what to do," Chase sighed.

"You need to talk to him. Why he's here is the question," Cameron pointed out gently, "But he's not going to go away. And, sweetheart, I know it sucks, but this is something that you can't control. He's here."

"I know," Chase groaned, "And, yes, it does suck." A soft, gentle smile crossed Cameron's face.

"Do you want me to go with you?" Cameron asked softly.

"No," Chase shook his head, "You just gave birth. You need to relax."

"Honey, I can do it," Cameron said truthfully, "If the choice is a little pain versus my husband's wellbeing, the choice is obvious."

"Ally," Chase sighed, "I'll be fine. Besides, you have to stay with Natalie."

"Are you sure?" Cameron asked.

"Yeah," Chase nodded, biting his lip, "It's better if I do this alone."

"C'mere," Cameron coaxed, drawing him closer. She took his lips in a passionate kiss. It was what he needed and Cameron knew it. The kiss deepened as Chase ran his hand through Cameron's soft reddish-brown hair. They only broke it when Natalie woke up and began to cry.

"Aww," Cameron said empathetically, immediately working to calm Natalie down, "It's ok, sweetheart." She looked at Chase, "Three hours right on the nose and she's hungry again." A smile crossed both of their faces.

Chase's smile faded as his fears lurched within him once again.

"I'm gonna get this over with," he mumbled, tuning to walk away.

"Hey," Cameron stopped him as Chase turned back around, "I love you."

Chase gave her a quick smile before turning to walk out the door. _If it weren't for her, I'd really be in trouble._

Rowan Chase turned abruptly at the sound of the door to room 305 sliding open. His son, equipped with a stony expression, exited the room in silence.

"Robert…" Rowan started.

"Why are you here?" Chase asked gruffly.

"I was at a medical conference," Rowan answered, "I ran into Dr. Gaines last night at the conference."

"Yeah, he works in my department," Chase acknowledged, "So?"

"He told me that you were running the ICU, and that you'd gotten married. And… that you were soon to be a father," Rowan said quietly, "I came because it would be wrong to not see you and give you my congratulations."

"Since when do you care about vices? And even more so, since when does my life matter to you?" Chase growled.

"Your life has always mattered," Rowan said sincerely.

"Yeah," Chase deadpanned, "Leaving me alone to take care of Mom at age fifteen was just for my own good."

"I shouldn't have left you," Rowan sighed.

"But you did," Chase spat, "And you can't change the past, or the repercussions that it caused."

"But you can change the future," Rowan said seriously.

"That's why you came – to make everything ok again? To meet my wife and see your granddaughter?" Chase scoffed, "You're not going within ten feet of either of them."

"I'm sorry," Rowan mumbled insincerely.

"No. No you're not," Chase snarled, "All you do, all you've ever done is inflict pain on the people you claim to love! Why the hell should I believe you? You abandoned me when I needed you the most. Now I don't need you."

Chase was completely taken aback when Rowan wrapped his arms around him. He tried to fight it, but Rowan's strong grip kept him from backing away.

"Yes, I _am_ sorry," Rowan said quietly, letting go. Chase backed a few feet away.

"You think that one hug will change everything?" he asked.

"No," Rowan shook his head, "But it's a start."

"Why?" Chase asked, "Why now?"

"Things have changed…" Rowan said ambiguously.

"Things? What _things_ have changed?" Chase asked, "You can't just barge into my life again, give me a hug, and hope that I agree to start over."

"I'm dying, Robert," Rowan said quietly.

"What?" Chase said in stupor.

"Lung cancer metastasized to my lymph nodes…" Rowan explained soberly, "I was just up here for the conference. But when I talked to Gaines, when he told me that you were married and that your wife was pregnant, it wasn't right not to come."

"I don't… I don't understand," Chase murmured, "You wouldn't have come if you weren't on your deathbed? Yet, you are, and now you suddenly want back into my life?"

"You said it yourself, Robert. You don't need me back in your life," Rowan sighed, "I came to say goodbye. I came because I want to see my daughter-in-law and granddaughter before I die. I came because I want to see you happy… before I die."

"H-hold on," Chase mumbled, turning to go back into the room.

Cameron looked up as she heard the door open. Chase looked confused and distraught as he entered the room to find Cameron nursing Natalie.

"Are you ok?" she asked worriedly.

"No, I'm not." Chase shook his head.

"Why?" Cameron asked gently.

"I'll tell you later," Chase said anxiously, "Are you ok with meeting him and letting him see Natalie?"

He didn't want to let this happen. Chase didn't want his father anywhere near his own family. But, it was the right thing to do. This was his father's last dying wish. He could cry later, tell Cameron later, mourn the loss of his greatest enemy later – right now, it was his filial duty to honor his father's last wish, despite what the man had done to him. Chase figured that he'd been dosed with some of his wife's inherent morality, hoping that the residual glow of morality from being around her was what was making him do this – not some sick, twisted sense of actual love and emotion towards the man. Either way, he felt obligated to honor his father's wishes, and nothing could change that sickening guilt building in the pit of his stomach.

Cameron could read the determination on his face under the despondence. There was something more to the story, she knew that well enough. Exactly what, she didn't know. But, if Chase wasn't telling her, Cameron knew that it was because he either wasn't ready to tell her, or didn't want to upset her. However, she also knew that whatever was bothering him wasn't just going to go away on its own.

"I trust your judgment," she said, deciding not to interrogate her husband about what was bothering him, "If you're ok with it, I'm ok with it."

"Alright," Chase sighed, biting his lip. He walked over to the bed and sat on the edge, watching Natalie nurse. A small smile developed on his otherwise-somber face, but it quickly faded. He had to tell Cameron about his greatest fear – the one he swore he would never let her know. "I'm so afraid that I'm going to turn into him."

Cameron looked up at Chase, a concerned expression on her face. She knew. She had always known. "I know."

Chase looked at her nervously, "How? You don't even know my father."

"You cry in your sleep sometimes. It's usually worst right after we would talk about something having to do with Natalie. And, it typically got worse as I got bigger. I figured it was because you were afraid," Cameron bit her lip. Chase didn't respond. "The only way I could find to make you stop whimpering, short of waking you up, was to hold you and whisper that I love you."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Chase asked curiously, "Why didn't you just wake me up and ask me what was wrong?" He wasn't angry – quite the opposite actually. The curiosity that he'd learned to let run wild during his tenure on House's team was starting to get the better of him.

"I figured that you'd tell me when you were ready to tell me," Cameron said gently, "If I had told you, then you would have been even more scared of fatherhood than you were already. You would have needed to prove yourself – to prove that you're not the stereotype or person that you didn't want to become. I couldn't do that to you because you don't have anything to prove or be afraid of. But that's what you would have tried to do. Ever since we started with House, you always felt like you needed to prove yourself – prove your worth. You're perfect as you are."

Chase was speechless. She had known and kept his secret. She had stayed up during the night, sacrificing her sleep, to make sure he was ok. Cameron had known about his fear all along and he hadn't told her.

"Robbie," Cameron soothed, "You'll never be him. You're by far the most loving person I know, and the best father ever to exist. There's nothing to be afraid of. Even if I had told you that I knew, you wouldn't have believed me. Look at Foreman for example. He was so afraid of turning into House that he quit his job to avoid being like him. Now look at him, he's still kind of working for House. But, more importantly, he never was House. Sure, he's _like _him – we're all like House in some respects. Yet, he'll never _be_ House. So, yeah, you and your father probably have the same accent, but you'll never _be_ him."

Chase's jaw had dropped slightly open as he just gazed at his wife. _How does she do that? She takes terrible life incidents and makes them good and nice._

"Earth to Daddy," Cameron chuckled, "You ok there, honey?"

"Yeah, sorry," Chase said, snapping back into reality, "You're scary perfect, you know that?"

"I fix broken people, remember?" Cameron winked. Chase just smiled and kissed her on the cheek.

"So how's she doing?" Chase asked softly, looking down at Natalie.

"I would assume she's good. I mean, she's eating a lot," Cameron grinned, stroking the top of Natalie's head.

"If you were on a diet consisting of nothing but milk, I think you would too," Chase snickered.

"Yeah… this is my life for the next few months at least," Cameron sighed playfully before a smile crept across her face, "It's great."

"That it is," Chase smiled, nuzzling Cameron's ear.

"Hey, you know we never opened that gift that House gave us," Chase pointed out, looking over at it.

"Oh, right," Cameron remembered, "You want to do the honors?"

"Sure," Chase shrugged, getting the box off of the bedside table. He undid the bow and tore off the paper as quietly as possible. "Looks like clothes… that's weird."

"That can't be good…" Cameron shook her head, taking Natalie's hand in hers with a smile.

Chase shrugged and took the top off of the box. Inside the box and under the tissue paper, he found a onesie with words printed on the front.

"Ally," he said, getting her attention while holding it up.

"My Mommy makes milk, what's your superpower?" Cameron read in disbelief.

"It's true," Chase shrugged, "And it's not a sexual reference. That's a plus."

"Your godfather is insufferable," Cameron pouted as Natalie grabbed her fingers forcefully, "But he loves you. Nowhere near as much as Mommy and Daddy love you of course, but he still loves you."

Once Natalie was finished feeding and tucked comfortably against Cameron's chest, Chase decided it was time to let his father in the room.

"I'll go get him," he said softly, kissing Cameron on the forehead. She just gave him a reassuring smile.

Chase once again walked out of the room to his father.

"Alright," he said authoritatively, looking straight at Rowan, "We do this my way – my rules."

"Fine by me," Rowan nodded.

"Either Allison or I will hold her at all times unless I decide differently. Don't overstep your boundaries," Chase warned. His warning turned into a low growl at the last rule, "And if you do anything, and I mean **anything** that hurts or upsets either my wife or my daughter, I will personally see to it that you're escorted from the hospital grounds."

"Agreed," Rowan sighed.

"Good," Chase nodded, "C'mon."

Cameron looked up as the door opened. Natalie was wrapped tightly in a blanket, asleep in her mother's arms. Chase walked in, followed by a man who didn't look much like him. She could already tell this was going to be a very awkward and tense moment.

Rowan walked to the foot of the bed and stopped. Chase took a protective position between his father and the rest of his family.

"So you're Robert's father?" Cameron smiled, looking at Rowan.

"Yes," he said with a small grin, "Rowan Chase."

"Dad, this is Allison," Chase said awkwardly, "We were on House's team together. Now she's the Head of the Immunology Department… and my wife… _and_ the mother of our child…"

"So I see," Rowan chuckled.

"And this is Natalie," Cameron said with a wide smile, glancing down at her sleeping daughter. Rowan smiled widely. Chase, after seeing his father's expression, realized that he had never seen his father so happy. "Robbie," Cameron called softly, locking his gaze and motioning towards Rowan.

"Right," Chase nodded, walking over to the bedside. He gently lifted Natalie out of Cameron's arms.

Cautiously, he walked over to his father. Every fiber of his body told him not to let Natalie within a mile of her biological grandfather. Yet, his moral instincts told him differently. Chase knew that Cameron trusted his father enough to let him nearer to their daughter. That was enough for him. Even if he did insist on standing right next to his father incase of any slipups.

"She's beautiful," Rowan grinned, watching the little baby girl sleep soundly in his son's arms.

"That she is," Chase smiled, edging closer to this father, "You… you can hold her if you want to."

Cameron watched with a telling smile. Before her were three generations of the Chase lineage – all happy and all together. Chase glanced back at her and saw her smile. He couldn't help but have his own smile grow exponentially. For that moment, time seemed to stop. All anger and past conflicts melted away in the wake of the birth of Natalie Gabriella Cameron-Chase. Life was changing so fast that they could hardly keep up, but neither Chase nor Cameron would have it any other way.

**Fin**

**Part 2**

**AN: Reviews please! Thanks for reading!**


	5. Chapter 3 Welcome Home

_**Disclaimer:**__I don't own "House" or Fox. All characters you recognize are from the show and I don't own, all others not from the show I __**do**__ have the rights to. I also own the plot. All third-party companies or objects mentioned throughout this piece are not owned by me and are only props in the piece._

_**Author's Note:**__ Finally, I can continue the AU-ness. Yay! Enjoy! Thanks to everyone who has read the story hitherto and reviewed! I couldn't do it without you guys!_

_**Chapter 3 – Welcome Home**_

By 8:00 AM that morning, the chaos of the night had melted into a new day. Rowan Chase had said goodbye to his daughter-in-law with a loving hug, and had kissed his granddaughter on the forehead as a final farewell. Natalie would always be a part of him. The little baby girl would never remember him, but she was his legacy passed on through his own son. No matter what had happened between him and his son in the past, Natalie's birth created a new relationship – one bonded by the love of a single, precious baby girl.

To his son, Rowan had said a private goodbye in the hall outside of the room. There were no tears, no apologies, and only one powerful hug. Neither he nor Chase had anticipated that this scenario would turn out to be the last time they would see one another. The tension and the deep hatred still existed from son to father, but it was lost for a few fleeting moments in the wake of complete happiness. Rowan knew that his son would probably mourn his death later. There still wouldn't be any tears or remorse. Chase wouldn't suddenly fall apart. No, Rowan knew that his son was strong. Robert Chase would hug his wife, kiss his daughter, and vow never to become like his father. _That_ is how he would mourn – he would finally overcome the fear he harbored for so long and move on. Chase would always hate his father, but he would never fear him again. And so Rowan Chase left, never once looking back at the family he would leave behind. No, this wasn't his life anymore – he could never be a part of it. He never _was _a part of it. This life, this new life that stayed behind, it was the new Chase family. It was his legacy, and his son's future.

**8:03 AM**

Chase walked back into the room from saying goodbye to his father to find Cameron holding their daughter close to her chest. A wide smile spread across his face. The future was bright – very bright. The torch had been passed. His father's shadow no longer loomed over him. No – now it was _his_ time to shine.

Cameron looked up at him and gave him a huge smile. They were ready. The world could catch up, but they were ready. Glistening sunlight shone through the wall of windows into the large hospital room.

"You ok?" Cameron asked.

"Yeah," Chase nodded, realizing for the first time that he was actually going to be just fine, "I really am."

"Told ya'," Cameron winked.

"You ready to take her home?" Chase asked, the smile still lingering on his lips as he settled against Cameron on the bed.

"I've never been so ready for anything," Cameron said honestly, giving her husband a sweet kiss. "Except for falling in love with you, of course," she whispered, her lips dancing across Chase's.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Chase got up and opened it.

"Oh, hi Lisa," he grinned.

"Hey Robert," Cuddy smiled.

"C'mon in," Chase chuckled, standing back a bit to let her into the room.

"Hey Lisa," Cameron called softly.

"Hey Allison," Cuddy smiled, walking over to the bedside, "How's she doing?"

"She's great," Cameron grinned, "Medically, it's a little early, but there's no sign of Jaundice, and she's eating a lot. Emotionally, I think she's pretty content. So far it's only been Owens and hunger that's made her cry."

"I don't blame her," Cuddy chuckled softly, "Some random doctor poking you right in the face wouldn't be so pleasant to anyone."

"Good morning Cuddles!" House exclaimed as he surged through the door, "Well, Cuddles and former team members…"

"Surprisingly, House hasn't made her cry yet, though," Cameron shrugged while looking down at Natalie to make sure she was still asleep.

"House, stop," Cuddy groaned, turning to him, "Can't you just leave them in peace for a day at the least."

"Never gonna happen," Chase rolled his eyes as he walked over to the bedside.

"I taught you well," House grinned, "So when are you guys taking the little rug-rat home?"

"This afternoon," Cameron smiled before turning a smirk on House, "Oh House… thanks for the present by the way. And, what's _your_ superpower?"

"The cane doubles as a mega death ray," House deadpanned. Cameron laughed.

"What was it?" Cuddy asked curiously.

Chase just laughed and handed it to her. After reading the inscription on the onesie, Cuddy looked completely mortified.

"House… you didn't," she groaned.

"Oh, but I did," House smirked, "I just couldn't resist. It was either that or one that said, and I quote, 'I see mommy's boobies more in one day, than daddy does in a year.'"

"Oh God," Cuddy whined, covering her face with her hands and turning away from everyone for a moment. Both Cameron and Chase laughed – it was so House-like.

"What? It's a joke," House shrugged nonchalantly.

"Anyway…" Cuddy sighed, looking at Cameron and Chase. "I came to ask if you guys would need any help this afternoon after you bring her home? I mean, incase you need someone to watch her while you guys catch up on some much-needed rest."

"Sure," Cameron smiled, "We'll bring her home, and you can come later in the afternoon, if that's alright with you."

"Sounds perfect," Cuddy smiled widely.

House shuffled his feet uncomfortably. He wanted to go too, but wouldn't admit it. After all, Natalie was _his_ goddaughter as well.

**5:00 PM – TTFN (Ta Ta For Now)**

"It's time to go home, princess," Chase whispered down to the little baby girl in his arms. It was two o'clock in the afternoon, and both he and Cameron couldn't wait to leave. Natalie had been fed twice, changed more than twice, and cried at the persistence of another one of Owens' checkups in the short time between eight in the morning and five in the afternoon. Everything encompassed, both of her parents just wanted to get her home and away from the craziness of the hospital.

Cameron was already in a wheelchair that one of the young nurses had brought into the room, much to her chagrin. Claire, the young nurse, was standing in the corner of the room.

"Ready, honey?" Chase asked softly.

"Absolutely," Cameron smiled.

"Let's go home," Chase replied with a wide grin.

Carefully, he handed Natalie to Cameron, who took the little baby into her arms. Natalie, who was barely awake, closed her eyes drowsily as her mother held her close and kissed her softly on the forehead. She was asleep again in seconds.

"Are you ready?" Claire asked nervously. Being new and knowing that Cuddy and House were Natalie's godparents making her anxious, Clair was nervous about being assigned to the young couple.

"Yeah," Cameron nodded, not taking her eyes off of Natalie.

And so they were off. Chase walked beside Cameron as she was wheeled out of the room, Natalie sleeping in her arms. Outside of the room was a crowd of people, all either doctors or nurses with smiles on their faces. House and Cuddy assumed their roles as godparents, flanking the 'procession' by walking just behind Chase and Cameron. House was beaming, even if no one except for Cuddy, Cameron, and Chase could tell. Foreman, Thirteen, Kutner, and Taub all stood by and watched as the entourage passed. This day would definitely go down in history.

Cuddy finally had a child to dote on; House had an honorary heir; and the Chase family grew to include one extremely loved little baby girl. It was astonishing that the elevator didn't spontaneously burst from all of the happiness when the doors closed.

The engine roared to life as Chase turned the key. Cameron was already comfortable in the back, watching over Natalie as she slept in her little, light pink car seat. Of course, House had personally insisted that the infant car seat be the top-of-the-line model. His excuse was something to the effect of not wanting a deformed goddaughter caused by a car accident as a result of Chase's "reckless" driving, but everyone knew it was just because he really did care (if not love) Natalie from the start.

"How's she doing?" Chase asked, looking at his wife in the rearview mirror.

"Asleep and adorable," Cameron smiled, not once taking her eyes off of her daughter as she tucked a soft blanket tighter around the little baby girl.

"Let's go then," Chase nodded with a grin. He put the car into gear and drove out of the parking lot as Cameron looked out the back window for a moment to see Cuddy, House, Foreman, Thirteen, Taub, and Kutner all seeing them off.

**5:30 PM – Homecoming**

Chase pulled through the gates of their house and up the drive to the house. Stones crunched under the tires all the way down the long driveway until he finally stopped the car in front of their large house.

"We're home, guys," he announced joyfully.

"_Girls_," Cameron sighed, shaking her head playfully. Her husband just laughed and got out of the car.

Chase opened the backdoor on the driver's side.

"Here, Al," he said, offering her a helping hand.

"Thanks," Cameron winced as Chase helped her out of the car.

"You alright, honey?" he asked worriedly at her wince.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Cameron smiled, giving him a kiss, "Just a little saddle sore." Chase gave her a sympathetic look. "I love you, baby." She gave her husband another sweet kiss.

"I love you too," Chase smiled. "Hold on. Let me get Natalie out of the car.

With that, he walked to the other side of the car and opened the door. Natalie was still asleep. Chase smiled and removed the baby carrier like an old pro, lifting it out of the car with a tight, cautious grip.

"Home sweet home," he remarked, shutting the door as Cameron walked up next to him.

"Yeah," Cameron said with a relieved sigh and a smile, "But, now it's… _complete_."

"Shall we?" Chase winked, taking Cameron's hand in his. She nodded happily.

They walked hand-in-hand up the stairs to their front porch. Chase handed Natalie's baby carrier to Cameron so he could open the door. He unlocked the door like he had millions of times before. But this was different. The gentle autumn breeze helped push the door open, revealing the house they had left only about twenty-four hours ago. It was so quiet and serene. The late-afternoon sunlight glistened through the windows, dancing across the foyer.

"_Now_ we're home," Chase smiled as they both walked inside. Natalie's eyes opened as she woke up and let out a big yawn.

"Hey sweetie," Cameron said softly, lifting Natalie into her arms, "You're home, Natalie." Chase bent down and kissed Natalie on the forehead. "We should probably bring her up to the nursery."

"Probably," Chase nodded, tucking her car seat away near the door for the moment.

After a quick walk up the stairs and down the hall, Chase stopped and opened the door to the nursery. The entire room was bathed in soft sunlight, illuminating the light pink walls of the large room. It was cozy and comfortable, a safe environment for their baby girl. Nestled against the wall at their right was the crib, enveloped in a draping canopy. The window seat had a big, light brown teddy bear among other adorable plush toys. In the corner near the window sat a rocking chair and a bookshelf that was stocked with books. The color scheme of pink and white with dark brown mahogany furniture flowed flawlessly throughout the room. The word 'princess' was spelled out in brown wooden letters hung by pink ribbons on the wall above the crib.

Cameron couldn't help but smile. It was so incredible. She was holding her perfect baby girl in her arms, leaning against the man she loved more than life itself.

"She should be getting hungry sometime soon," Chase murmured, wrapping his arms around Cameron.

"Hard choice…" she remarked with an impish smirk, "Sleep or milk. It's the answer to the meaning of life."

"I'd go for the sleep," Chase yawned. Their musing was cut short by the sound of Natalie's whimpers.

"Guess not," Cameron half-smiled, "Why don't you go get changed while I feed her. Then you can change her while I put on some PJ's or something."

"You sure?" Chase asked.

"Yeah," Cameron nodded, giving her husband a sweet kiss.

"Ok," he grinned in return, smoothing Natalie's hair one last time before turning to walk out of the room.

Natalie started to cry harder.

"Hey. Mommy's here. It's ok," Cameron soothed with a gentle smile, "Shh… it's ok. I know… I know… you're hungry."

Chase rubbed his eyes tiredly as he walked down the hallway to their master bedroom. He'd been up for thirty-six hours straight by that point, and was completely exhausted. The past thirty-six hours had been difficult to say the least. Chase had performed five surgeries, had one patient almost not come back from cardiac arrest in the ICU, completed his clinic duty, said goodbye to his father, _and_ helped deliver his baby girl all in a day's work.

Shuffling to his walk-in closet, Chase grabbed some navy blue pajama pants along with a shirt that he found to be perfect for the occasion. After quickly changing, he went into the bathroom and splashed water on his face to keep himself awake. One glance at the bed reminded Chase that it would probably be a good idea to change the sheets, considering that Cameron's water had broken earlier on the bed. He grinned with a small chuckle, remembering how different life was just one day ago.

After a quick trip to the hall closet, Chase set the new sheets on the rectangular bench at the foot of their bed. He quickly stripped the old sheets off of the mattress before bundling them up and making the long haul down to the laundry room in the basement.

Chase smiled widely before trotting back upstairs so he could finish making the bed and get back to spending time with his wife and daughter.

"I love you so much, Natalie," Cameron whispered, rocking back and forth slowly in the rocking chair. She stroked the top of Natalie's head gently, holding her baby girl close to her body. Occasionally Cameron would give her daughter soft kisses while rubbing her small back. She closed her eyes and cherished the feeling of having Natalie resting comfortably on her chest.

When Cameron opened her eyes again, she saw Chase smiling at her from the doorway. She flashed a smile back at him before pressing another loving kiss to Natalie's cheek. Seeing Chase's shirt, Cameron smiled even wider. It was the same one from the day they had told everyone that they were going to have a baby. Chase's smile was even more endearing. She'd only seen that kind of smile once before.

It all started about nine months prior, Cameron remembered. She had the entire evening planned. Luckily, she was able to leave early from the hospital so that she could run back home to make dinner…

_"Hey," Cameron said softly from the doorway to her husband's office._

_"Hey," Chase yawned._

_"Rough day?" Cameron said empathetically, walking over and giving him a tender kiss._

_"Uh huh," Chase mumbled against her lips, "But that makes it a little better." He could feel Cameron smile against his lips before deepening the kiss. She ran her hands through his soft blonde hair, and stroked his cheek soothingly. Then Cameron pulled away, leaving Chase leaning in for more. He groaned, crossing his arms across his chest in a pout._

_"Oh, don't be a __**baby**__," Cameron teased while straightening his hair after she'd mussed it up. Chase smiled playfully._

_"You headed home?" he asked._

_"Yeah," Cameron nodded, "Not much to do around here, so I thought I'd just go back home."_

_"Ok," Chase nodded in return, "I'll be home in a couple of hours. I've just got some clinic follow-ups to handle, and a brain biopsy as per request by Cuddy for House."_

_"Huh?" Cameron asked, suddenly intrigued as to why Cuddy had done something that huge to aid the misanthrope._

_"He's a big donor to the hospital and House can't figure out what's wrong," Chase sighed, "So, I'm stuck doing the surgery."_

_"Poor __**baby**__," Cameron soothed, caressing her husband's cheek. For the second time in the conversation she'd put the slightest emphasis on the word 'baby,' wondering if her husband would catch the hint. Yet, her attempts were to no avail._

_Chase got up and wrapped his arms around Cameron._

_"I love you," he whispered._

_"I love you too," Cameron smiled. She stared deeply into his intense blue eyes before giving him one more passionate kiss._

_"See you at home," Chase half-smiled._

_"Don't be too late," Cameron chuckled as she walked out, "I __**do**__ plan on spending time with my hubby tonight." As she disappeared around the corner, Cameron knew that her words had definitely piqued Chase's interest._

_**Two hours later…**_

_Chase opened the front door. It was still taking him awhile to get used to living in a house – let alone a very big house. The lights were dimmed while candlelight flickered through the room. Soft Christmas music filled his ears as tantalizing smells of home-cooked food flowed over him like a wave in the ocean._

_"Ally?" he called softly. Chase jumped when Cameron wrapped her arms around him from behind._

_"Relax," she soothed, "It's just me, sweetheart."_

_"You fright-" Chase stopped mid-sentence as his mouth dropped open when he saw his wife. She was wearing a tight, strapless red dress that cut off just above the knee. Her reddish-brown hair was draped stunningly over her shoulders. "You look… there aren't words to describe how beautiful you look." Cameron flashed her husband a sweet smile._

_"I love you too," she smirked before taking Chase's lips with hers in a fiery kiss._

_But, just as it was about to go deeper, Cameron pulled away._

_"We should probably eat first," she suggested, grabbing her husband's hand and pulling him towards the dining room._

_Awaiting them both was Chase's favorite meal: grilled New York Strip steak, mashed potatoes, sautéed spinach, and perfectly steamed broccoli. He smiled widely, wrapping his arms around Cameron._

_"I love you, Ally," he whispered while nuzzling her ear. He watched as goosebumps rose slightly down Cameron's arms._

_Dinner passed slowly between the two of them. Occasionally they would be extremely flirtatious and feed one another before sharing a kiss. Though, Chase did notice that something was off. He had a glass of his favorite Cabernet Sauvignon – a 1970's vintage produced in Australia's Coonawarra region. The strangest part was, it was Cameron's favorite with steak as well, yet, she didn't even go near the bottle. Chase had asked her if she was feeling ok, but she shrugged the question off as if she was perfectly fine._

_When dinner was over, Chase tried to get up to help do the dishes, but Cameron stopped him._

_"Wait," she said, "There's one more thing."_

_"You sure went to a lot of trouble," Chase shook his head with a smile._

_"It's a big night for us," Cameron said with a sly smile. The look on her husband's face was priceless. It literally looked as if he'd seen a ghost. He had no idea what she meant._

_"Why are you acting so strangely?" Chase asked curiously as adrenaline coursed through his body._

_"I'm not," Cameron furrowed her brow a bit, realizing that she was actually scaring Chase more than she meant to. "Here," she said softly as she handed him a box, wrapped in burgundy-colored paper with a white ribbon tied around it that tied into a bow on top, "I… got you something…"_

_"Uh oh," Chase teased._

_"Believe me, you'll like it," Cameron smiled before getting up so that she could stand right next to Chase when he opened the present._

_"Ok," Chase shrugged, untying the bow and tearing the paper off of the box._

_Under the tissue paper was a manila folder. Cameron watched as Chase's brow furrowed. He obviously wasn't expecting paperwork._

_"Open the folder," she giggled._

_"What is this?" Chase asked, looking up at her._

_" Just read it," she urged anxiously._

_"Ok, ok, ok." Chase nodded, scanning the page, "It's a blood test. So what?"_

_"Robbie…" Cameron said softly. He pushed the chair back and got up, looking straight into her blue-green eyes. She took his hand in hers and kissed his fingers gently before forcing a small object into his grip. "It's not just any blood test. It's my blood test that I took earlier today. I just got the results from the lab." _

_Fear and adrenaline rushed throughout Chase's body until he opened his hand to look at what Cameron had given him. He swallowed hard, staring intently at the small object in his hand. Reading the inscription on it almost brought tears to his eyes. The object in his hand was a pacifier that read: I love my Daddy. One quick glance back at the blood test read: pregnancy – positive._

_"You're pregnant?" Chase asked. Immediately he turned back to Cameron as a smile the size of Texas crossed his face. It was smile that Cameron had never seen before. He was happier than she'd ever seen him._

_"__**We're**__ pregnant," Cameron nodded, "I just found out today."_

_"Oh my God!" Chase exclaimed, throwing his arms around his wife, "We're actually going to have a baby. That's… incredible!"_

_"I know!" Cameron giggled, sharing a slow, tender kiss with her husband._

_Chase picked Cameron up in his arms bridal style, earning a surprised yelp. But not once did they break the kiss on the way upstairs._

_"I love you," Chase whispered against Cameron's lips._

_"I love you so much, baby," Cameron said softly, pausing one moment to caress her husband's cheek. She swore there were tears in Chase's eyes, but the darkness masked them beautifully._

_When Cameron woke the next morning, she was curled up in Chase's arms with his hand resting protectively on her stomach. She interlocked her fingers with her husband's as the gentle morning sunlight filtered in through the windows. Cameron fell back asleep in Chase's warm embrace, ignoring the fact that they were both going to be very late for work. It didn't matter. Work – the entire world – would wait. Right now was just reserved for them._

Cameron held her daughter a bit tighter, never wanting to let go. She was exhausted, her entire body ached, and she wanted to shower, but at that moment, nothing could ever separate her from her baby girl – the little life that she'd helped conceive, carried, and fed. Anyone could see that they were going to be inseparable. Cameron didn't think it was possible to love anyone this much, but she was wrong. A tear traveled down her cheek as she kissed Natalie on the forehead, smiling at the thought of how incredible life was as a mother. One look at her husband's smile made her heart swell with happiness.

"I love you with all of my heart, my baby girl," Cameron whispered before another tear of sheer joy ran down her cheek.


	6. Chapter 4 Bringing Down the House

_**Disclaimer:**__I don't own "House" or Fox. All characters you recognize are from the show and I don't own, all others not from the show I __**do**__ have the rights to. I also own the plot. All third-party companies or objects mentioned throughout this piece are not owned by me and are only props in the piece._

_**Author's Note:**__ Enjoy! Thanks to everyone who has read the story hitherto and reviewed! I couldn't do it without you guys! Sorry it's taken so long. And, for the record, House being twice Cameron's age really works in my favor (it all makes sense in the long run people… just give it time). You may be saying that House is OOC, but that's arguable if you look deep, deep down. In my perfect universe, Cameron's little crush on House __**never existed and never will exist**__. Now that we've established that I __**despise**__ the House/Cameron romance with every fiber of my being… on with the show…_

_**Chapter 4 – Bringing Down the House**_

**6:15 PM**

Cameron got up out of the rocking chair as Chase lowered the shades and closed the curtains. It was getting late so they figured that it was best to let Natalie get some sleep.

"We should probably change her one more time before we put her pajamas on," Cameron whispered, "Take her for a sec." Chase nodded and carefully lifted Natalie out of her mother's arms.

As Chase prepared for their first diaper change at home, Cameron walked over to the closet and picked out a warm, pink onesie. She made her way back over to the changing table.

"I can see how this would be weird for people who haven't done this before," Chase remarked quietly as he unwrapped the blanket around Natalie.

"The dressing part is still going to be interesting," Cameron nodded. "I mean, changing diapers is one thing," she paused with a smile before playfully running her finger across the bottom of Natalie's foot, making the little girl recoil just a bit, "But getting little, itty-bitty hands and feet into clothing is going to be a challenge. Isn't it, Natalie?" Sure enough, Natalie grabbed hold of the blanket and unintentionally yanked it away from her father.

"Two steps forward, one step back," Chase chuckled.

"One step forward, two steps back," Cameron smirked, tickling Natalie's foot again with a giggle, and causing the little girl to fidget slightly.

"Mommy's just being silly," Chase smiled, unwrapping the blanket again. Cameron just laughed.

**Back at PPTH…**

"Dr. Cuddy?" Dr. Victoria Suarez asked as he entered Cuddy's office.

"Yes, Dr. Suarez?" Cuddy answered, still shuffling papers into her bag.

"Can I get a consult on a patient?" Suarez asked.

"I'm actually leaving," Cuddy sighed, "Can you try asking either Dr. Wilson or Dr. House?"

"Dr. Wilson is busy, and Dr. House left already," Dr. Suarez said.

"Dr. House left?" Cuddy asked curiously.

"Yes," Victoria nodded.

"Oh God," Cuddy shook her head. She knew exactly where House was headed. Grabbing her bag, Cuddy walked past Dr. Suarez.

"But I still need a consult," Dr. Suarez called after her boss.

"Ask either Foreman, Thirteen, Taub, or Kutner," Cuddy called over her shoulder, "Pick one." Dr. Suarez just sighed, looking around the empty office.

Cuddy walked quickly to her car. The past couple of hours had been long and arduous, and now she had to go and chase after House. She knew he was headed for Cameron and Chase's house. Digging through her purse, she whipped out her cell and pressed the number five until it recognized the speed dial.

"Hello?" came the Australian accent.

"Hey, Chase," Cuddy smiled, "It's Cuddy. House is most likely on his way over to your place. I just called to warn you." She could hear Chase laughing.

"Great," he chuckled, "Thanks for the heads up."

"I'm on my way right now," Cuddy said as she got behind the wheel of her Mercedes CLS 63 AMG and revved up the engine.

"We'll be here," Chase joked. Cuddy smiled.

"How are Cameron and Natalie?" she asked, her tone softening.

"Natalie's asleep. We just put her in her crib for the first time, and she went straight to sleep. Cameron's fine. She's showering… which is no surprise to anyone," he grinned, making Cuddy laugh.

"And you?" she asked, pulling out onto the road.

"I'm great. Kind of tired; but we all are," Chase answered, "How's the hospital faring without all of us there to stop the chaos?"

"We'll manage," Cuddy smiled, "But just barely."

Chase smiled, "I'll see you when you get here – hopefully before House."

"Yeah," Cuddy nodded, "I have to run home, but I'll be there soon."

"Take your time," Chase said reassuringly, "He can't do _that_ much damage."

"Ha," Cuddy scoffed, "That's a good one. See ya then." She hung up.

Cuddy's house was only a seven-minute drive from the hospital, making it about eight minutes from Cameron and Chase's place. She quickly pulled down her street and banked a turn into her driveway. A small grin crossed her lips. It was fun having lots of horsepower and sport steering. Though, she couldn't revel in it long as she was out of the car and making a mad dash for her front door in a matter of seconds.

**On the other side of the story…**

House grabbed a T-shirt, underwear, jeans, socks, and another pair of Converse All-Stars, only to stuff each into a duffel bag. Yes, it was true that he was headed for Chase and Cameron's place. He had ditched the hospital in true House-fashion, dodging Cuddy and the rest of his team as he pushed them all out of the elevator, darted across the Maternity Ward, and down the stairs to the outside parking lot. After that, it was a short motorcycle ride back to his apartment. Which brought him to this point in time – packing to go over to Cameron and Chase's.

"See 'ya, Steve!" he yelled to the rat before shutting his door, keys jingling in his pocket.

He strapped the duffel bag on his back, put his cane in the specially designed cane holder on his bike, and revved the engine. People watched him as he sped off, doing a half smoky-burn-out before peeling out onto the main road.

**Back at la Casa de Chase…**

Cameron walked out of the steamy bathroom in nothing but a fluffy, white towel. Her reddish-brown hair cascaded in damp waves down her back and over her shoulders. A smile immediately crossed her face from ear-to-ear when she saw Chase on the bed. His face was partially hidden behind the baby monitor as he watched Natalie sleep. Back turned to Cameron, she thought he hadn't noticed that she was out of the bathroom. So, in true Cameron fashion, she snuck up on him.

Right as she was hovering near her unsuspecting husband, ready to pounce, the doorbell rang through the house. Chase turned around quickly, recoiling backwards when he saw Cameron.

"When did you get out of the shower?" he asked, clearly stupefied.

"Like a minute ago," Cameron teased, her tone softening, "Is she ok?"

"Yeah," Chase nodded, "She's still asleep."

Cameron smiled and kissed him tenderly, "You're cute. Ya know that?" Chase just laughed.

"Seriously, not that I ever mind you being wet and in nothing but a towel, but both House and Cuddy are coming, so you might want to change," Chase suggested, "I mean, unless you want House to-"

"House?" Cameron asked, raising one eyebrow. Chase just shrugged.

"Gotta answer the door," he remarked on his way out of the room.

Cameron glanced at the baby monitor to ensure that Natalie was still asleep. She smiled for a moment before making her way into her closet to get changed. _I knew it! House __**does**__ really love her! I mean, c'mon, who wouldn't? She's too cute not to love._

Chase sauntered down the stairs and to the front door. A grin formed on his face when he saw Cuddy.

"Hey," he greeted her happily, opening the door.

"Chase," Cuddy smiled, giving him a hug, "House hasn't gotten here yet?"

"No-" Chase stopped mid-word as the sound of a motorcycle trickled in closer and closer from the distance, "But that won't last long. Why are you so against him coming here anyway?"

"Because I want you two to get some rest, and have some time together with the baby worry free," Cuddy sighed, "Don't get me wrong, we all know that House has his assets… he's just not great for quiet time."

"Yeah, newborns aren't the greatest for 'quiet time' either," Chase laughed. _She just doesn't want him here because she loves him, and she knows it._

Both the and Cuddy watched as House made a banking turn into their driveway, gravel slipping and sliding under the wheels of his bike, getting tossed into the air behind him. By that time, even Cameron had come to the top of the stairs. She was dressed in some of Chase's pajama pants and a T-shirt with her hair pulled back into a bun. Baby monitor in one hand, she walked downstairs slowly.

"Hi, Lisa," Cameron smiled.

"Hey, Allison," Cuddy said softly, giving her a hug, "How are you feeling?"

"Great, actually," Cameron chuckled, "How are you holding up?"

"Fine," Cuddy nodded, "But I'm not the one who just had a baby."

"Is the hospital still standing?" Cameron asked hopefully.

"Ahh… yes," Cuddy blinked with a curt nod, "I think…"

"Well, you can always keep tabs on the daredevil from here," Chase smirked, motion towards House while wrapping his arms around Cameron from behind.

"He's not _that _bad," Cameron defended.

Just as she said that, House zoomed up the driveway. Gravel flew in a huge cloud of dust behind him as he blew past all of the plants and trees. He came to a halt in front of the steps up to the front porch as the dust cloud settled in behind him.

"Good evening Cuddles, and former employees," House smirked after removing his helmet. He grabbed his cane and walked up to the front door.

"Didn't know you were coming," Cameron quipped.

"Yeah well, I'd never pass up the opportunity to raid your refrigerator," House volleyed, "So are you going to let me in?" Cameron backed away from the doorway, allowing him to step inside. "What? No greetings from the Wombat and hospital administrator?"

Cuddly looked perturbed.

"Oh, relax Cuddy," House sighed, "I'm not gonna do anything. They just had a kid. I mean… that would even be cruel for me."

"That's… human of you," Chase remarked suspiciously. Cuddy was still in shock.

"Where is Buddha Baby anyway?" House asked, deflecting the comment.

"She's asleep in the nursery," Cameron answered, "Why?"

"Just wondering," House shrugged.

"Planning on spending the night?" Cameron questioned, noticing the duffel bag on House's shoulder.

"Yep," House nodded.

"No sexual comments?" Cuddy asked, finally coming out of her stupor, "No snide remarks? Nothing?"

"Hard to believe, huh?" House smirked.

"Uh… House, why doesn't Cameron show you to the downstairs guest room, and I'll take Cuddy upstairs," Chase suggested, trying desperately to break the awkward tension in the room.

"Good idea," Cameron bit her lip. Cuddy nodded.

Quickly the foursome parted ways; Chase and Cuddy went upstairs, while Cameron and House walked to the downstairs guest room.

"So why _are _you being so nice?" Cameron asked once they were out of earshot from her husband and Cuddy.

"I can be nice sometimes," House shrugged.

"I know," Cameron nodded, "But you're not just being nice, you're being _genuinely_ nice."

"What do you people want from me?" House asked, clearly exasperated as he dropped his duffel bag on the bed in the large room, "I'm not nice, I get yelled at; then I _am_ nice, and I get everyone pestering me about it."

"I want to know if you love her," Cameron said suddenly.

"What?" House asked, clearly confused.

"Not 'what.' Who. I want to know if you love Natalie," Cameron paused, "Or at least if you like her; and not just because she's your goddaughter either. I want to know if, deep down in your heart of hearts, she really does mean something to you."

Awkward tension filled the room as House looked from Cameron to the floor. The truth was something that he didn't even want to admit to himself, let alone Cameron. What he felt earlier that day, the "Daddy walking daughter down the isle" sense of apprehension, it scared him more than anything. It was weird to think of Cameron and Chase as family, but it was sort of happening. House certainly didn't wish for it to happen. But, after their joint decision to make him legally (in their last will and testament) their daughter's godfather, something started to give. Whether it was like the Grinch's heart slowly recovering from being two sizes too small, or just some strange happiness for the new family, House didn't know.

As he weighed his answer, the truth became almost as clear as Cameron standing patiently before him. House looked up at her briefly. Almost immediately he averted his eyes to the floor again. Cameron smiled – she got her answer.

"Make yourself at home," she said softly before turning around and walking out of the room.

House strummed his fingers on his cane and bit his lip as that weird warm-and-fuzzy feeling washed over him again.

**Some hours later…**

After Cuddy ordered Cameron out of the kitchen in her true "maternal authority figure" nature while she made dinner, Cameron went upstairs to check up on her daughter. Chase was showering up in their room, leaving House to his own accord.

Cameron silently opened the door to the nursery and walked inside. She gasped suddenly out of shock.

"House?" came her almost-inaudible whisper.

There was no answer, but it was true. House was sitting on the window seat watching over Natalie as she slept. He hadn't expected anyone to come in – let alone Cameron.

Completely speechless, Cameron walked over to him slowly. She knew he cared, but never expected him to care this much.

"Is she ok?" Cameron whispered, trying to overcome her stupor.

"She's… log-like," House remarked quietly.

"Yeah… that's Chase's fault," Cameron smiled.

House looked at her awkwardly, raising one eyebrow.

"I meant her sleep patterns," he shuddered.

Cameron shook her head and rolled her eyes, "You know that's what I meant."

"That's what she said," House snarked.

"So…" Cameron prompted in a whisper, standing before him and crossing her arms across her chest, "Are you going to tell me why you're here?"

"Wasn't planning on it… no," House shook his head.

"Fine," Cameron sighed, "I'll do the talking." She sat down next to House, forcing him to move over.

"Oh God," House groaned quietly, "I came up here because it's quiet. Duh."

"That's a terrible excuse," Cameron chuckled, "You could have gone to any other room in the entire house – your room, the basement, the game room, the family room, the study, and a million other 'quiet' hiding spots that you're so good at finding… you could have gone outside for all you care. Yet, you didn't… you came up here."

"Oh you just know me too well," House snarked.

"So you're honestly telling me that you somehow wandered aimlessly into the nursery?" Cameron asked rhetorically, "Really, House, you're losing your edge if that's the best lie you can come up with."

House was silent. _No. I'm just having trouble lying to you._

"If you want to keep believing that, it's your decision," Cameron said softly as she got up.

House watched as Cameron leaned on the side of Natalie's crib to watch her sleep, a warm smile forming on her lips. He couldn't stop a strange sensation from flowing over him – _he was proud of her_. From the little, innocent Allison Cameron he'd first hired to the loving mother standing before him now, House had watched her grow up – overcoming life's biggest obstacles, and enjoying its most rewarding moments. Yeah, he annoyed the living daylights out of her at times; but it didn't mean that he still didn't care about her. Even though he didn't admit it to himself, House knew exactly what that strange feeling he kept getting was. He also knew that it wouldn't ever go away.

Small cries broke his deep train of thought.

"Uh oh," Cameron frowned sympathetically, reaching in to pick Natalie up out of the crib, "What's wrong, princess?"

Surprisingly, Natalie stopped crying as soon as Cameron held the little girl to her chest – the sound of her heartbeat calming her daughter down instantly.

"It's ok," Cameron soothed, kissing Natalie on the forehead, "Mommy's right here. I gottcha. It's ok, sweetie." Within moments the last few whimpers had subsided.

Silence filled the room for a few minutes as House watched Cameron with Natalie. Her eyes were closed as she held her daughter to her chest, rubbing Natalie's small back very gently, and dropping soft kisses on the top of her head every now and then. Natalie's eyes closed for longer and longer periods of time as she started to fall back asleep.

Careful not to disturb Natalie, House got up and walked to the door. Once he was sure that Natalie was asleep again, he let out a small sigh.

"Cameron…" he called quietly.

She turned to look at him, her eyes sparkling with curiosity in the moonlight. House glanced from her to Natalie for a moment. He was torn between wanting to say what he had in mind and not being able to say it. But… he had to, and he knew that. She deserved it – she always had.

"I'm really proud of you," he said awkwardly.

Cameron blinked a couple of times, utterly speechless as House walked out of the nursery and down the hallway.

_**Author's Note:**_

_**Mega shout out to **_**youMEANeverything14**_**. If you haven't read her stories, you're missing out big time. She rules. No doubt about it. Chameron always rules.**_

_**You may be thinking that I'm crazy for making House as Cameron's father figure… but I'm not crazy. Well… ok, so I'm a little nuts… but who isn't? Just see how it plays out people. There's always a method to my madness.**_

_**Rock on.**_


	7. Chapter 5 Home Sweet Hospital?

_**Disclaimer:**__I don't own "House" or Fox. All characters you recognize are from the show and I don't own, all others not from the show I __**do**__ have the rights to. I also own the plot. All third-party companies or objects mentioned throughout this piece are not owned by me and are only props in the piece._

_**Author's Note:**__ Thanks so much for everyone's reviews, and I'm glad you enjoy reading this story! I've gotten so many positive reviews from the last chapter, and I thank all of those who took their time to review. Oh, did I mention that nurses can be a bit… crazy at times (at least in this story)._

_Oh, and if you haven't guessed yet… I'm kind of a car nut. Heh, heh, heh…_

**Spoilers for "Three Stories" from Season 1**

_**Chapter 5 – Home Sweet… Hospital?**_

Chase hit the gas as the light turned green, allowing their Porsche Cayenne Turbo S to peel off the line.

"You have a lead foot, you know that?" Cameron retorted from the backseat.

"Always have," Chase snickered, plowing down a small residential street just to tease her.

"Baby on board," she reminded him, clearly not amused.

He smiled and slowed down to the speed limit. She was right, but he couldn't resist joking with her a bit. They were off to the hospital for Natalie's first checkup. Cuddy had already let it slip that they were coming by, and every nurse in the entire hospital was overjoyed to truly meet the newest member of the PPTH family. Even at a mere week-and-a-half old, Natalie fit in perfectly with her mother and father's "power couple" status.

"Do you think House is there?" Cameron asked somewhat anxiously.

"I have no idea. I don't see why not, though," Chase answered, pulling into the parking lot, "You ready to go?"

Cameron smiled and looked down at Natalie, who had a tight hold on her finger.

"If I can ever get her to let go… sure," she grinned. Chase laughed as he opened up her door. "C'mere, sweetie," Cameron said softly as she gently picked Natalie up out of the carrier.

Chase couldn't help but muse at his wife and daughter. It still astounded him that, from the perils of the job that they once had as fellows under House, they came out as the strongest couple anyone could imagine. From a job that he was forced into, he resurfaced into the real world hand-in-hand with the woman he loved more than life itself, and now, his daughter. Whether it was destiny or luck, he didn't know, but Chase wasn't about to second-guess it.

"Rob? Earth to Chase…" Cameron's voice brought him back into reality.

"Huh? Oh, yeah," he flashed her a goofy grin.

"Let's go," she laughed, holding Natalie tightly against her chest to shield her from the cool autumn air, "It's chilly out."

He nodded, shutting the car door after retrieving the baby bag and slinging it over his shoulder.

"He is _not _sick!" House retorted.

"Dr. Riley is throwing up; he obviously can't lecture," Cuddy said strongly as she shuffled some papers around on her desk.

"Did you witness the spew?" House returned sarcastically, "Or do you just have his word for it?"

Cuddy laughed incredulously.

"I think I'm coming down with a little bit of the clap," House ranted on, "May have to go home for a few days."

"Dr. Riley doesn't have a history of lying to me," Cuddy said defensively.

"You said this is the fifth time he's missed a class this year!" House fired back, "Either he's dying or he's lying."

"I'll give you two hours off clinic duty," Cuddy sighed.

"It's a shame Cameron isn't here. She loves inspiring the inspired. We should call her in," House scoffed.

"You'll do it!" Cuddy demanded.

"Why is it always me?" House asked irritably.

"Because the world hates you," Cuddy replied mordantly, "Or because it's a class on diagnostics. Pick whichever reason feeds your narcissism better."

House narrowed his eyes at Cuddy.

"And why are you so anxious to get out of here all of a sudden?" he asked, noticing her pushy attitude and constant glances towards the door.

"Cameron and Chase are coming, and I want to see _our_ goddaughter," Cuddy answered, "And I'm not anxious. Just busy."

"I'm out," House declared, walking towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Cuddy asked quickly.

"Lecture hall," House shouted over his shoulder as he walked out, leaving Cuddy to wonder why the change of heart.

"They're coming!" one of the nurses yelped excitedly, raising quite the commotion amongst the rest.

***

"Um… ok," Chase said pensively as he saw the excitement unfolding inside the hospital, "I'll hold up the defensive while you make a break for Cuddy's office. Sound good?"

Cameron laughed, leaning into his embrace. Natalie cooed softly in her arms.

"Hey, at least someone liked my plan," Chase grinned proudly at his daughter. He tickled her tummy lightly, "Yeah, we'll show Mommy. Won't we, mate?" Natalie waved her tiny fist in the air. "Oh yeah," Chase chuckled, giving her a high-five with his index finger.

"You are definitely your Daddy's daughter," Cameron smiled at Natalie lovingly.

"Well… we're here," Chase mumbled as they walked through the doors to the lobby of PPTH.

"It's gonna be a miracle if she doesn't start crying," was all Cameron could say before they were both surrounded by a sea of nurses.

"Oh my gosh! She's so adorable!"

"Thank you."

"Aww!"

"How cute are you?"

"She's beautiful!"

"Thanks."

"Rob…"

"Everybody back. C'mon. Little, itty-bitty baby. Don't want to freak her out, now do we? …Or her mother for that matter. Ouch!"

"Not funny, Rob."

"Sorry, honey."

"Can we see her?"

***

House watched the events unfolding in the lobby on his five-minute break from lecturing the students. Cameron and Chase were watching proudly as the nurses cooed over their baby girl. All the while, Chase still had a very watchful eye on them. Even House noticed the sharp gleam in the young father's eyes, – the same one that he got when anyone was even close to threatening Cameron – that fierce devotion that made him stronger than anyone to save those he loved. House cracked a smile. Chase would always be a kid at heart, but when it came to loving Cameron – and now Natalie – there was nothing childish about him.

_If anyone drops her… I swear. Though I seriously doubt that either Cameron or Chase would ever let Natalie be held by someone as incompetent as a newbie nurse from the clinic. They better not. I wonder if she told Chase what I said. Why wouldn't she? It's Cameron. Why did I even say that I was proud of her? Who am I kidding? I meant it – always have, always will. I guess they're all growing on me a bit. Like a mole or something. I seriously can't believe I'm even thinking this, but she and Chase are really good for one another. They always did make a good team._

"Dr. House?" one of the students called down the hall, "It's been six minutes"

"Be right there," House mumbled over his shoulder, turning to look one last time at Natalie with a proud smirk.

He watched as Cuddy walked out of her office to help Cameron and Chase escape so they could get to the appointment. Though he was sufficiently surprised Cuddy looked up at him with a smirk. Furrowing his brow in thought, House cocked his head to one side before turning around to walk back to the lecture hall. He shrugged it off, a smirk of his own widening on his face. _I should stand on the balcony more often – better view._

***

"Lisa!" Cameron smiled, giving Cuddy a big hug.

Chase watched in shock as all of the nurses returned to their jobs at the mere sight of the hospital administrator. They were like animals scattering when a lion came to the watering hole somewhere out in the Sahara. Well, all except for Brenda, one of their friends who was still safely holding Natalie in her arms.

"Hey," Cuddy smiled, returning the hug.

"Chase," Brenda said quietly, handing Natalie back to him, "I have to keep an eye on the others, but she's absolutely beautiful."

"Thank you," he said politely. She nodded and walked off, barking orders to the inexperienced underlings all the way.

"I told Owens you'd probably be a little late," Cuddy smirked as they all walked towards the elevators.

"Thanks," Cameron laughed, "Yeah… that was… crazy."

"I'm really surprised she didn't cry," Chase remarked, tucking Natalie against his chest, "Poor kid got swamped."

"She had her Daddy and Mommy there to protect her," Cuddy grinned.

"You want to hold her?" Chase asked.

"Of course," Cuddy smiled widely, taking Natalie into her arms, "Hey sweetheart."

***

Meanwhile, House sat in the front of the lecture hall listening to the naïve students in agony. Through a series of three cases, he was attempting to educate them on the trials and tribulations of humanity. Unfortunately, none of them were proving to be grasping his teachings yet.

"How do they teach you to tell someone that they're dying? You role play and stuff?" he asked, staring at the varied yellow crayons in his hand.

The student's answer filtered through his ears as a dull droning noise. Something about how their class: "How to Tell Someone They're Dying 101."

_Two hours off clinic is __**not**__ worth this. Not even close. Not even in the same universe. Someone save me from this… please._

***

"Dr. Chase, Dr. Cameron," Owens smiled as he walked into the room, "It's great to see you. How's little Natalie doing?"

"Happy and healthy as far as we can tell," Cameron smiled down at her daughter, who was nestled comfortably in her father's arms.

"Great. I'll just do a quick checkup and you should be good to go," Owens nodded, patting the scale, "Just put her on up here for me."

Chase got up and gently placed her on the cold scale, making Natalie whimper and squirm.

"It's ok, it's ok," Chase soothed, "Shh… you're ok, princess."

"Eight pounds, six ounces," Owens measured, "Perfectly normal. You can take her off of the scale."

Chase gladly scooped Natalie back into his arms and sat back down next to his wife.

It only took a short while for Owens to complete the checkup. He checked her vitals, and made sure she didn't have any signs of jaundice. Not to mention his difficulty at trying to measure her. Despite all of the coaxing that both Chase and Cameron could muster, Natalie would **not** let Owens stretch her out to see if she'd grown any. Instead, she stayed curled into a little ball. After ten minutes, the space on the chart simply remained blank with a promise by Cameron and Chase that they would do it at home and call him later.

"Are you having any trouble feeding her?" Owens asked.

Cameron shook her head, "No."

"Didn't think so. Her weight is right on track. But, it never hurts to ask," Owens half-smiled, "You two don't look too exhausted. Getting much sleep?"

"No," Chase laughed, "But from all of our years either on House's team or working in surgery and the ER, the all-nighters aren't really a big deal."

"She's pretty good though," Cameron said in defense of her daughter, "She lets us get around five hours of sleep."

"Good, good," Owens nodded, "Well her lungs are clear, her heart sounds great, and she's… _really_ strong. I think you're all set to go."

"Thanks so much," Cameron smiled, standing up with Natalie in her arms.

"Thank you," Chase said politely, shaking Owens' hand.

"Of course," Owens nodded in return, "Natalie seems to be a great little baby. You two are lucky to have that on your first time."

"Yes we are," Cameron laughed.

Chase gave him a quick nod and a smile.

"So I'll see you guys around," Owens said to Cameron and Chase. He looked at Natalie, "And I'll see _you_ in a couple of months."

"Thanks again," Cameron flashed a sweet smile before walking out the door, "Oh, and tell Emma I said 'hi.'"

"I will. She wanted to come and see you and the baby, but she had an administrative emergency something or other," Owens shrugged, "But she'll call you I have no doubt."

"I hope everything's ok," Chase said with mild concern as they walked into the hall.

"Oh, it should be fine. Her company just hired a bunch of new people, and I think one of them did something they shouldn't have," Owens shook his head. His pager suddenly started to beep, "Gotta go. NICU just paged me. I'll see you guys soon."

Chase and Cameron looked at one another and smiled.

"This hospital is nuts," he rolled his eyes.

"I'm with you so far," she snickered, "But… I think I actually like it being that way. More good than bad becomes of it."

"Brilliant, beautiful wife… one-of-a-kind, adorable daughter," Chase mused, "Can't complain." Cameron gave him a tender kiss as the nurses watched in silent excitement.

***

*(**Spoiler alert!**)*

House walked over to one of the three brightest students in the class – the caring, sentimental one. He roughly shoved a piece of paper in her face. Recovering from her stupor, she studied it to find that it was a badly colored circle.

"What would you call that? That's tea-colored, right? The guy who we thought was just after the drugs… what's the differential diagnosis for urine that's tea-colored?" House asked.

"Kidney stone," she said in response.

"Kidney stones would cause what?" House asked quickly.

"Blood in urine," she returned.

"What color is your pee?" he mocked her.

"Yellow," she nodded.

"What color is your blood?" he asked.

"Red," she answered somewhat nervously.

"What colors did I use?" House demanded.

"Red, yellow… and brown," she said anxiously.

"**And** brown. What causes brown?" he asked abruptly.

"Waste," she answered immediately.

"Which means the kidneys are shutting down. Why?" he volleyed.

"Trauma," she guessed.

"None that his history would indicate," House shook his head.

"Could be damage done by the self-injection of the Demerol," she offered.

"Treatment?" he barked.

"Heat… and rest…" she started.

"Other possible causes," House demanded sharply.

"Infection," she swallowed.

"Start him on antibiotics. What else?" House said quickly. No answer met his words. "C'mon, c'mon!"

"I… I don't know," she admitted.

"You're useless. At least you know it," he scoffed, walking over to the ornery student in another row, "Blood tests show elevated creatine kinase. What does that tell you?"

"The trauma diagnosis is right. He takes it easy for a few days, he'll be fine," he said cockily.

"You sure?" House asked gruffly.

"The elevated CK rules out infection…" he started.

"You know what's worse than useless? Useless and oblivious," House growled as he walked over to the only truly intelligent and objective student there, "What are they missing?"

"You know… it's kind of hard to think when you're in our face like this…" he said strongly.

"Yeah?" House mocked him, "You think it's going to be easier when you've got a real patient really dying?" He looked at the entire audience, "**What are they missing?**"

"…Muscle death…"

House looked up to see Cameron and Chase in the doorway of the lecture hall, Natalie cradled safely in her father's arms. Both had small smug looks on their faces.

"Not your case," House answered calmly, "You're not even supposed to be here."

"Nothing wrong with a consult," Cameron smirked, "And… I stopped doing what I was supposed to a long, long time ago. You taught me that. You should know better."

"Cute…" House grumbled.

"Dying muscle leaks myoglobin. It's toxic to the kidneys," the caring student deduced after some thought.

"…Brilliant," House sighed.

Time passed quickly for everyone in the room, as they were all drawn head first into House's tale of how he truly became "House." Cameron and Chase especially learned a thing or two about their former boss. Even Wilson and Cuddy stood at the far edges of the room, eagerly listening to his story. Natalie fell asleep in Chase's arms as Cameron stroked her tummy. For House, on the other hand, his story drudged up the memories that he wanted so desperately to forget.

When he finished, the sound of a pin dropping could be heard in the lecture hall. Everyone was completely awestruck. One-by-one, however, they started to leave the room. House looked up to see Cameron and Chase still sitting in one of the back rows. That alone was enough of a reason for him to make a break for it.

"House!" Cameron called from the back of the room, starting to run down the isle, "House, wait!" "I'll be right back," she called over her shoulder to her husband.

Chase held Natalie up to his eye level.

"Your godfather is really weird…" he said with a cute pout on his face.

Natalie just blinked at him and cooed quietly.

"Yeah? Glad someone agrees with me," Chase nodded, wiping her mouth with a towel, "You think Mommy needs some backup?"

Much to his confusion, Natalie fixed her face in a scowl.

"Either you're agreeing with me that she doesn't need help, _or_ that means you're gonna need to be changed soon," he furrowed his brow, "You couldn't have done this when Mommy was around? She's so much better at this than I am." He paused for a moment, "You know what? Your godfather needs serious payback for that baby shirt he got. I'll change you in his office – let him deal with the smell."

Natalie cooed again.

"That's my girl," Chase smirked, getting up and walking off towards House's office, "Thank God you can't talk yet. Mommy would kill me."

***

"House, stop!" Cameron called after him.

He halted abruptly and turned towards her in the busy hallway of the Diagnostics Wing.

"What?" House asked incredulously, "I'm kinda busy."

"We need to talk," Cameron sighed, walking up to him, "And you're not busy, you're just trying to avoid me."

"Can't slip anything past you, can we?" he rolled his eyes.

"You're deflecting," she frowned.

"Look," he sighed deeply, "I said what I said. Can't we just leave it at that?"

She gave him a sad puppy-dog pout. House's heart sank as he looked into her big blue-green eyes.

"Of course not…" he mumbled to himself.

"I want to know _why_ you said it," Cameron almost begged.

He groaned quietly, grimacing as he looked at her sorrowful expression.

"I said it, and I meant it. Always have, always will," House said anxiously, refusing to look at her as he scanned the hallways for interesting people to watch.

"That's not why you said it," she pointed out gently.

"Why do you need to know?" he questioned.

"Because I do," she answered simply.

"Does it really make a difference? I said it and I meant it. Does the why really matter?" he whined.

"I can't believe the man who always needs to know the 'why' in everything is actually using that as an excuse. The 'why' is everything – facts are meaningless if there's no 'why' to stand with them," Cameron challenged.

"Why did you suddenly pick this moment to use everything I taught you?" House scowled.

Cameron just stared at him. He felt like her turquoise-blue eyes were piercing the remnants of his shattered soul. Fixing his jaw, he sighed.

"Did you ever think that maybe… maybe something actually… matters… to me…?" House mumbled awkwardly, "That maybe… I actually think that you, Chase, and Natalie are actually… _ok_…"

Much to his chagrin, Cameron was looking at him with a gentle smile on her face.

"Aww… House," she said sweetly.

"See! This is why I didn't say anything!" House protested.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of," Cameron said reassuringly, "You don't have to be ashamed of loving people, House."

"I never said-!" he tried.

"Oh, please. You just admitted, in your own stiff-upper-lip way, that you actually have feelings. And not just any feelings either – love for my husband, my daughter, and myself… in a very adorable, friendly, family-like sort of way," Cameron translated into English from House-speak.

"This is exactly why I didn't want to talk to you – because you would do this!" House complained.

"You didn't want to talk to me because you knew I'd confirm what you feared you were feeling," she pointed out. He looked at the floor. She bit her lip, "House, I'll never make fun of you for having feelings – let alone feeling the least little bit loving towards the people that I love too. No one will ever ridicule you, or whatever you're so afraid of other people doing. Your secret is safe with me. Your secret will be safe with Chase, and Cuddy… and certainly Natalie."

"She's right," Chase said calmly, walking out of the Diagnostics Office.

"Where'd you come from?" House said abruptly.

"Your office, actually," Chase shrugged, looking at his wife and House, "And I think what she's trying to say is that we all love you too… in a very not awkward, friendly, family-ish sort of way."

House looked at him crossly.

"House," Cameron said softly, taking Natalie into her arms and giving her a kiss on the forehead, "Rob and I decided to make you her godfather for a reason. We want you to be in her life. You don't have to play a big part in her life if you don't want to, but at least some part. I mean, we wouldn't have gotten married had it not been for this job and for the weirdness of it that brought us close together."

House, clearly feeling very awkward at this moment, shuffled his feet and nodded.

"Ok…" he mumbled, "Glad we settled that."

"Did anything we said get through?" Cameron asked hopefully.

"Not a thing," House shook his head, turning to walk away.

"Watch this," Cameron whispered to her husband. She looked up at House walking down the hall. "House," she called, "Dinner's at seven."

"Can't hear you!" he shot back over his shoulder.

"My money's on him being at our house by four," Cameron whispered, knowing that everything they said to House really had made a difference, but there was no way he'd willingly show it in public.

Chase looked at his watch.

"I say five," he grinned as they both looked down at Natalie, asleep in Cameron's arms.

***

"I win," Cameron smiled, looking out the window at the orange motorcycle zooming up the driveway as the clock in the kitchen struck four.

Chase grinned from where he stood behind her. They both looked at one another before looking down at their daughter, who gazed back up at them.

"Mommy and Daddy love you so much, Natalie," Cameron said softly.

"And so do her godmother and godfather, apparently," Chase smiled, looking out the window, "Look."

Sure enough, there was someone else on the back of House's motorcycle – someone with black curly hair, piercing blue eyes, and a smile that brightens anyone's day.

"Is that…?" Chase questioned, "You don't think…?"

"I think…" Cameron smiled widely, laughing a bit, "…this is the start of a very interesting family."

**FIN**

**(Until the next chapter…)**

**Author's Note: Oh my Gosh… sorry this took so long!!!! I lost my muse for the longest time, and I think I finally got it back! Thanks for sticking with me you guys, and thanks for reading!**

**3**

**BBC**


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